A major drunk driving crackdown in KwaZulu-Natal led to the arrest of 59 motorists, including a soldier and a taxi driver with a blood-alcohol level 20 times over the limit.
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A South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldier on duty and a minibus taxi driver transporting passengers were among dozens of motorists intercepted and arrested for drunk driving during a massive law enforcement sweep across KwaZulu-Natal this weekend.
The high-profile arrests were part of the province’s ongoing #NenzaniLaEzweni campaign and Operation Shanela, which saw more than 2,000 traffic officers and police personnel deployed across key transit points.
According KZN MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, the multi-disciplinary operations successfully averted feared disruptions along major freight corridors while netting a wide array of public servants and professionals driving under the influence.
In Ladysmith, a routine roadblock saw an on-duty SANDF soldier was stopped and subsequently arrested by the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI). In the same operation, authorities stopped a minibus taxi packed with commuters, only to discover the driver had a blood-alcohol level a staggering 20 times over the legal limit.
MEC Duma lauded the "no-nonsense" approach of the provincial traffic teams, emphasising that the sweep sends a clear message to the public.
"The arrest of an SANDF soldier on duty by our Road Traffic Inspectorate is a clear indication that nobody is above the law," Duma said.
The weekend operations resulted in a total of 59 arrests for driving under the influence. The breakdown of those detained revealed a worrying trend of professionals violating road laws, including an Eskom quantity surveyor, a nurse, a teacher, an electrician, a human resources officer, and a data capturer.
In Ladysmith alone, 13 motorists were arrested during the single blitz.
The weekend’s successes bring the total number of drunk driving arrests in the province to 6,345 since the coordinated operations were intensified in August last year.
The massive deployment of law enforcement also served as a preventative measure following widespread social media panic regarding a potential provincial transport shutdown. Rumours had circulated mid-week threatening to paralyse the economy by blocking key logistics arteries.
However, provincial authorities confirmed that the heavy police presence ensured zero incidents on the roads.
"We wish to inform the people of this province that we ensured the free flow of traffic despite widespread fears of major disruption linked to the shutdown," Duma stated. "There was no shutdown of traffic along the N2 and N3 freeways."
Duma extended his gratitude to KZN Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, for the swift deployment of South African Police Service (SAPS) members who worked seamlessly with the RTI and Operation Shanela units.
The suspects arrested over the weekend are expected to appear in various magistrate's courts across the province this week to face charges related to driving under the influence of alcohol, while the taxi driver faces additional potential charges of reckless and negligent driving.
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