KZN Civil engineer faces hefty fine for reckless speeding
A 43-year-old civil engineer from Reservoir Hills has earned a criminal record after being caught driving at more than 200 km/h in a 120 km/h zone in KwaZulu-Natal.
Shekendra Bhagwandin was stopped by the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) while travelling at 217 km/h on 28 September 2025, heading towards what authorities described as a “potentially catastrophic situation” for other road users.
In a statement, KZN transport spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said, “He felt invisible in his BMW M3, which did not have a front number plate affixed.
”This was a clear sign of an attempt to evade detection by fixed-speed cameras.”
He also paid tribute to the RTI officers involved, saying, “We pay tribute to RTI Officers T. Simpson and R. Brijlall for their ability to sustain a no-nonsense, zero-tolerance, and Alufakwa campaign.”
Bhagwandin was detained at Scottburgh SAPS and released on R2 000 bail.
He appeared in court on Thursday, October 30, 2025 and pleaded guilty to exceeding the speed limit.
He was fined R35 000 and sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, with half of the sentence suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence during this period.
Sibiya also noted that recent successful prosecutions, including the conviction of a lawyer for speeding and reckless driving, reflect the work of an integrated approach involving RTI, the South African Police Service, and the Justice and Constitutional Development Department.
He emphasised, “RTI will continue to be firm, as we don’t want reckless drivers to turn KZN road networks into killing fields.”
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
IOL News