Had Phumzile Banisi managed to dodge the reckless driver, he probably would have told his colleagues about the close shave.
|||Cape Town - Had provincial traffic inspector Phumzile Banisi managed to dodge the reckless driver on Monday night, he probably would have told his colleagues about the close shave with wide eyes.
“His stories were always entertaining. Even the serious ones were full of funny punch lines, drama and ‘i-yohs!’. That’s who he was, he could make light of a serious situation in a way that set people at ease,” said a close friend and colleague, Simphiwe Mabizela.
“When we had an office party he was the first guy to start dancing, and would call on others to join him.”
As it turns out, Banisi was struck and killed on impact as he tried to stop a white Toyota Hilux travelling from Paarl to Worcester.
The driver of the Hilux, a 57-year-old man from Somerset West, was arrested and awaits charges while police complete a case docket for culpable homicide. He would appear in Worcester Magistrate’s Court, said police spokesman Captain Andre Venter.
Minutes before his death, Banisi had arrived on the scene of a broken down truck 5km from Worcester’s Shell Ultra City. The truck was obstructing a lane.
While he waited for back up, Banisi had to stop and direct traffic so the unobstructed lane could alternately accommodate both incoming and outgoing cars.
“It was so ironic that he lost his life while controlling traffic to protect the lives of motorists. This is the sacrifice that traffic officers (sometimes) make when they… try to keep the road safe for the general public,” said Cecil Nyman, a senior inspector at Worcester’s provincial traffic office.
Nyman and Mabizela agreed that Banisi was highly professional, a “hero” and an “example” to younger traffic officers.
“He was always on time and willing to go on call-outs. He loved his job, and we loved to work with him,” said Mabizela, adding that Banisi was the main breadwinner in a family which still had four children of schoolgoing age.
“He was also in the process of mending his marriage with his estranged wife, when his life was cut so suddenly short. It is very sad, there is not a dry eye in our office today,” said Mabizela.
Transport MEC Robin Carlisle said Banisi was a Western Cape traffic employee for the past eight years, and an official with an “impeccable” reputation.
“It is a terrible tragedy. I can only hope that the driver realises the gravity of his actions.”
Banisi’s wife is in the Eastern Cape and could not be reached for comment. Banisi’s brother, Welcome Banisi, said arrangements were being made to take his body to the Eastern Cape where a funeral was being planned.
Banisi is the second government official to die in the line of duty on the province’s roads since Sunday.
Msindisi Duka, a 38-year-old road worker with the Cape Winelands Municipality, died after being struck by a rock while clearing the Franschhoek pass of obstacles during wet weather on Sunday.
daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za
Cape Argus