Getting away with murder

My husband recently got a traffic fine of R1 500 for driving through a red traffic light. (Of course he insists it was dark orange!) Now, we all know that the law is the law and we have to take responsibility for our errors … but R1 500 is a bit steep, I think. Especially when compared with how other slip-ups are considered by our municipalities.

The Engen oil refinery in Durban not long ago spilled 6 000 litres (!) of oil into a canal that runs through a residential area straight into our beautiful Indian Ocean. Apparently, refinery staff had “mistakenly left a sleuth open”. Bird and fish life was heavily affected, and the heavy fuel oil that was leaked gave up a toxic stench. Believe it or not, Engen was fined only R1 000 for having caused this disaster.

R1 500 for driving through a red traffic light, vis-à-vis R1 000 for causing major pollution, threatening animal life and endangering the health of residents — this does not make any sense! A thousand bucks is pocket money for a global corporation that each year brings in billions of rands in revenue. For the ordinary South African, however, paying R1 500 in fines hurts.

Applying such unfair and inequitable yardsticks is absolutely unacceptable. And I have a suspicion that the low fine Engen had to pay rather had to do with the fact that refineries are one of the core rate payers to the local municipality, which wants to keep relationships smooth to ensure that industry stays in the area.

Without having to face major repercussions, why would profit-oriented enterprises pay tens of thousands of rands to dispose of environmental waste correctly when they can simply spill it into the sea — oopsy! — and, if they are caught, pay a token amount that doesn’t even make them bat an eyelash? It’s unfortunately much cheaper to pollute than to protect the environment. That’s why a token fining system does indirectly encourage pollution!

As with so many other things in life, the man in the street is hit hard (for a relatively minor traffic offence), while the true evil-doers get away with murder (of animal life, in this case) and severe, long-term and often irreparable environmental damage. Shame on you!