Cape Town mayor Helen Zille once spent an entire month’s salary on a traffic offence. She speaks to the Mail & Guardian about cars, traffic fines and weekend destinations.
What was the first car you bought and what influenced the purchase?
A Volksie Beetle. My dad paid R1 000 for it, to get me off his back in 1974. I still miss it.
Are you passionate about cars or are they just a means to an end for you?
I like to get to where I am going without a fuss. I also enjoy power steering, air conditioning and a radio for news. I still consider these extravagant, luxury features after all my Volksie years.
What is your dream car and do you think you’ll ever own it?
I love those new-look Volksie Beetles and I wanted to get one until I found out how much they cost. I would never pay that much for a car.
If you had a weekend to drive to any destination in South Africa, where would you go, what car would you be driving, who would you take and what would the music be?
I would prefer to be driven rather than drive — in any kind of car with regulated temperature. I’d like to be with my husband and sons — we have always had our most intimate family discussions in motor cars. And I would like to be going to Keurboomsrivier where we have spent many holidays. I’d prefer not to have music. It gets in the way.
When was the last time you knowingly broke a traffic law?
In November 2005 when I was late for a very early morning flight and regarded the intersection at the top of our road as a stop street rather than a traffic light.
On any given day, how often do you break the speed limit?
I don’t any more. I rely on a driver who knows every short cut in the city and a protocol officer who makes sure I get there on time.
How much was your most expensive traffic fine and what was it for?
It was when my original Volksie was towed away outside the Groote Kerk in Cape Town in the mid-1970s. I was a cadet reporter and had parked illegally because I was late to cover the inauguration of the new state president. I spent my whole month’s salary retrieving my car. I have never parked in a presidential “reserved” bay again.
What do you think our traffic authorities could do to lower the rate of road deaths in South Africa?
Apply speed limits stringently.
What annoys you most about other drivers and is it true that Cape Town drivers are the worst in South Africa?
No one who has driven in Johannesburg believes Cape Town has South Africa’s worst drivers. I hate it when people drive slowly in the fast lane.
What’s the nastiest thing you’ve done to another car or had done to your car?
I once stopped in front of a taxi after the driver threw a coke can out of the window. He leapt out, grabbed me by the lapel through my open window and threatened to shoot me. That was the nastiest experience in my [almost] 35 years of driving, worse than my attempted hijacking.
What car are you currently driving and why?
A 2001 Opel Corsa. It is the most economical car on the market with power steering, air conditioning and a radio.
Would you prefer to be driven around by a chauffeur?
I am [in an official car, a BMW] and I love it. It gives me at least an extra 40 minutes’ work time each day.
Do you ever talk on your cellphone while driving?
I used to sometimes, but I stopped immediately when I became the DA’s [Democratic Alliance] mayoral candidate because I knew it would make front page news. Now I often talk on the cellphone in the car because I am not driving.
What gadget should car manufacturers put into cars that would make your life easier?
Built-in speaker phones with voice-activated dialling, SMS and e-mail.