Traffic fines defaulters are being warned that they will be visited in the comfort of their homes if they do not pay their outstanding traffic fines. It is believed that Durban motorists currently owe traffic fines amounting to a whopping R122 million. Now the head of the city’s Metro Police has issued a stern warning to offenders that the “men in blue” are on their way to make special visits to collect!
All eyes on traffic fines
Specialized Durban Metro Police Task teams revealed these alarming statistics this week with “all eyes” on these serious traffic fines violators. The R122 million incorporates fines attributed to a range of traffic violations concerning motor vehicles, minibus taxis, heavy motor vehicles and motor bikes. Spokesman, Colonel Boysie Zungu said Metro Police operations were currently operating at full capacity, with home visits “in full force” in an effort to recover funds that have reached critically high levels.
Warning traffic fines offenders
Police issued a warning to offenders, stating that whether they reside in the suburbs or townships “the dedicated task force will locate them”. There is a particular reference to those defaulting motorists who have a history of multiple offences. Colonel Zungu said: “Operations are already in progress and will escalate in the coming weeks.” If you owe any traffic fines then expect police at your residence at any time until you settle what you owe. The “special home visits” is an innovative strategy that has been implemented by the Durban Metro Police Department to collect long-outstanding traffic fines from suspects.
Pay now or face arrest
Zungu urged traffic fines offenders to rather make arrangements now instead of waiting for police to
pounce on them at their homes. Defaulters will be arrested when located. If you owe any traffic fines there are ways to avoid being arrested and detained:
- An arrangement can be made with the Prosecutor prior to the police arresting the offender.
- If the offender fails to make the arrangement before they are arrested, they will be compelled to make a payment or stay in Police custody until payment is settled.
- Motorists can also visit the Durban Metro Police offices to settle their outstanding fines.
- A person who wishes to make payment for outstanding fines or wishes to check if they do have any outstanding fines can go to our Metro Police Headquarters in Durban or various other listed places in the city mentioned at the end of the story.
- Officers and staff members will be there to assist them at all times.
Rules don’t apply to me
Said Zungu: “Defaulting on traffic fines is not just a financial issue. It is a moral failure. It says: ‘The rules don’t apply to me.’ It’s the same attitude that leads to bribing traffic officers, abusing government funds, or skipping a queue. These small acts of dishonesty, left unchecked, erode public trust in institutions and one another. In a country still healing from institutionalized inequality and historical injustice, we cannot afford to normalize selective accountability.”
City roads benefit when you pay up
Then there’s the economics. Unpaid traffic fines are a missed revenue opportunity for cash-strapped municipalities. Properly enforced and collected, these fines could fund better road infrastructure, traffic management systems, and education campaigns. Instead, local governments are left chasing shadows, or worse — writing off debts that should have been paid by law-abiding citizens. South Africa urgently needs reform on this front. Digitisation of fines under the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act is a step in the right direction, aiming to streamline how fines are issued, tracked, and contested. But technology alone cannot fix a culture of avoidance. Education campaigns need to be implemented that reframe traffic fines as part of civic responsibility, not an optional inconvenience.
Preserve life speeding drivers
Let us be honest: traffic fines are not just about punishment — they are about preserving life. Every time a driver speeds past a school zone or ignores a stop sign, they gamble with someone else’s future. Paying that fine — on time — is a small price to pay for the privilege of using public roads. South Africans must decide what kind of nation we want to be. If we are serious about building a safer, more accountable society, we cannot pick and choose which laws to follow. Defaulting on traffic fines may seem trivial — but it’s a mirror of our national conscience. And right now, the reflection isn’t pretty.
How to pay your fine
- Durban Metro Police headquarters at 16 Archie Gumede Place, Durban, Monday to Saturday from 07:30 to 15:00
- Revenue office, Florence Mkhize Building, Durban, Monday to Friday 07:30 to 15:00 and Saturday 07:30 to 11:00
- Municipal Court at 5 Somtseu Road, Durban, Monday to Friday: 07:30 to 15:00
- Various Sizakala Centres in Durban, Monday to Friday: 07:30 to 15:00 and Saturday 07:30 to 11:00
Still it is easier to pay your fines
Motorists who know the amount they are owing can make payment via online banking with the following details:
Name of account: eThekwini Municipality Metro Police
Bank: Nedbank South Africa
Type of account: Cheque
Account number: 1107821169
Branch code: 198765
Reference: Traffic fines reference or ID number.
E-mail proof of payment to: [email protected]
If motorists require further information about outstanding fines they can call 031 311 2862 or
031 311 2863 or email queries to [email protected].
