Understanding your rights at roadblocks: a guide to staying safe this festive season

DECEMBER doesn't only bring sun, shisa nyama energy, and overly ambitious camping plans.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

It brings roadblocks... lots of them.That alone should trigger a collective “know your rights” reminder, like sunscreen but for legal safety.

And yet, most of us don't really know what were allowed or not allowed to do when an officer taps on our window. We learned Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in grade 5, but no one taught us the everyday basics, like: Can you film law enforcement? Can you refuse a search? What does “reasonable suspicion” actually mean?

South Africans aren't clueless by choice. Legal experts say there's a real gap in rights awareness, especially for vulnerable groups. Advocacy organisations run “Know Your Rights” campaigns every year, which tells us education isn’t just nice to have, it’s needed.

So yes, December vibes might look like pedicures, juice cleanses, and beach selfies, but legal literacy is the type of wellness that keeps you alive and out of jail.

A deadly festive season

Last year’s festive period was brutal. Between December 2024 and January 2025: