Today, the DA has submitted follow-up questions to the Legislature following written responses on the alarming shortage of traffic officers and operational resources in the province received on 4 August 2026.
In response to a DA parliamentary question, the Premier confirmed that Limpopo requires 2 452 traffic officers to optimally fulfil its traffic-law-enforcement mandate.
However, the province currently has only 1 264 traffic officers.
This means Limpopo province has a shortage of 1 188 traffic officers, or nearly 50% of the required compliment.
The response further reveals serious concerns regarding the provincial traffic vehicle fleet. According to the Premier:
- 400 vehicles are currently available
- A further 200 vehicles are at the state garage
- These 200 include vehicles that must be written off.
These figures raise serious questions about the province’s actual capacity to maintain visible traffic policing, conduct effective law-enforcement operations and respond to road-safety challenges across Limpopo.
The shortage is particularly concerning considering the vast distances that provincial traffic officers must cover and the continued need for visible law enforcement on Limpopo’s major routes.
The DA has previously raised concerns about the diversion of traffic resources to the Premier’s protection arrangements. In January 2026, the DA questioned reports that 12 traffic officers and two additional vehicles were being utilised for the Premier’s protection detail.
Against the newly disclosed shortage of 1 188 traffic officers, every available officer and operational vehicle should be deployed where it can contribute to the safety of Limpopo’s road users.
While the Department’s recent recruitment of learner traffic officers is welcomed, the scale of the shortage demonstrates that a far more comprehensive staffing and fleet-management strategy is required.
The DA has therefore submitted further parliamentary questions to establish the district-by-district allocation of traffic officers and operational vehicles, the number of vacant funded posts, the condition of the provincial fleet, the average turnaround time for repairs at the state garage, and the Department’s timeframe to address the shortage.
Limpopo cannot achieve safer roads without sufficient officers on the ground and reliable vehicles to deploy them.
The DA will continue using its oversight role in the Legislature to ensure that the provincial government accounts for these shortages and presents a credible plan to address them.