As part of celebrating Women’s Month, we take a look at a typical day in the life of a female Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officer, to understand some of the achievements and challenges female officers face while on roadside duty.
One of them is Nonceba Mazibuko who is employed as the RTI Training Academy Principal Provincial Inspector and Instructor, and also as the Acting Station Commander for RTI Greytown.
When asked what a typical day in her life as a female traffic officer looks like and what her responsibilities are, Mazibuko said: “I perform some administrative duties and I also teach learner traffic officers at the Traffic Training Academy who undergo compulsory training for a duration of 11 months prior to obtaining their traffic officers diploma. The training programme also entails practical work on the road, where trainees apply what they were taught in class.”
She says that female traffic officers often encounter many roadside challenges such as being exposed to dangerous situations in their daily operations. This includes the risk of being knocked down by speedsters who manage to get past the authoritative eye of a traffic officer.
“While on the road, we experience various challenges. Some drivers might knock you down with their vehicles, while others tend to be aggressive when being stopped. Being a female doesn’t make it any easier. If nature calls while you are on roadside duty, you have to rush to a nearby filling station or travel back to the station, which may be a distance away. Nevertheless, one has learnt to be tough and execute duties effectively. While on roadside duty, we sometimes have to carry heavy objects or equipment and this requires physical strength, fortunately most officers are fit and are able to carry out those responsibilities efficiently. At the end of the day, our goal is to keep the roads clear of reckless drivers and un-roadworthy vehicles posing a threat to the safety of other road users. We enforce traffic rules and regulations regardless of any challenges,” says Mazibuko.
Mazibuko was the first female in the province to be an examiner of driving licences in 2007 and later qualified as an examiner of vehicles. At the time she was the only female that had obtained a Code 14 licence and a motorbike licence in Grade A.
She encourages other females who aspire to be successful to always study, work hard and always be a step ahead.