The City of Ekurhuleni has notified owners of impounded vehicles that they have until 15h00 today, 12 July 2024, to claim their cars or risk seeing them destroyed.
At present, the Ekurhuleni Metro Police (EMPD) is sitting with 173 unclaimed movable properties across its four impound lots, comprising:
- 141 motor vehicles
- 15 trailers
- 14 motorcycles
- 2 containers
- 1 caravan
Many of these vehicles were impounded after they were found to be in violation of municipal by-laws or the National Road Traffic Act (NRTA), while others were involved in accidents and remained unclaimed by their owners thereafter.
The EMPD has sent out several notices to the registered owners as they appear on the National Traffic Information System imploring them to come forward and collect their property, but few have heeded these calls.
EMPD spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Kelebogile Thepa told SABC News that the NRTA empowers the police to destroy these vehicles if they remain on the impound lots for a certain amount of time, or sell them at auction to recoup costs incurred such as storage and towing fees.
“As law enforcement, we have high volumes of vehicles coming into our pounds for various transgressions, and as such, continued storage becomes a bit of a challenge,” said Thepa.
It has therefore reached the point where “sufficient grace has been given for such owners to come and claim their properties,” she said.
If you are one of the affected owners, you will need the vehicle registration certificate, proof of ownership, your ID, and the impound fees to get your car back.
You can get in touch with the EMPD impound lots via phone for further inquiries. The Alberton lot can be reached via 011 999 8703, the Boksburg lot via 011 999 9107, the Brakpan lot via 011 999 9568, and the Kempton Park lot via 011 999 1802.
Owners who can’t afford the impound fees may appeal to the municipal commissioner to waive certain costs.
EMPD Boksburg impound lot. Credit: SABC News
Auction buyers beware
The authorities warned South Africans who are potentially looking at buying one of these vehicles at auction that many of the cars are from neighbouring countries and are technically not allowed on local roads even if driven by a South African citizen.
The prospective buyers should first consult with customs officers to determine whether it is legal to purchase one of these foreign cars and how they can go about registering them after the transaction.
“No South Africans, unless they have dual citizenship in the country that the vehicle comes from, is allowed to operate these vehicles on our roads,” said an EMPD spokesperson.
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