KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Ms Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni has denounced the reckless behaviour of the 21 drunk drivers who were arrested in the province last night, as law enforcement authorities tighten the grip on motorists who drive under the influence of alcohol to ensure road safety during the Easter period.
The motorist with the highest alcohol reading of 0.89mg/l was arrested in the Empangeni Region.
Already five road accidents resulting in eight fatalities were recorded in various parts of the the province yesterday. Four fatalities were recorded in the Empangeni Region, two in the Ladysmith Region and two in the Durban Region.
MEC Nkonyeni has warned that police will keep a watchful eye on liquor outlets and other businesses to ensure compliance with their licence conditions and Covid-19 restrictions.
“Thousands of lives are lost each year and most accidents are as a result of human behaviour such as drinking and then proceeding to drive therefore putting the lives of other road users at risk. There are far too many people dying on our roads and the 21 motorists who were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol could have killed many innocent road users, so harsher punishment must be meted out against drunk drivers,” said MEC Nkonyeni.
As part Operation Vala multi-disciplinary law enforcement operations during the Easter period additional law enforcement authorities have been deployed on all major roads throughout the province to ensure maximum compliance.
“A large multi-disciplinary law enforcement contingent comprising of members from the South African Police Service, Road Traffic Inspectorate, Metro Police as well as law enforcers from our neighbouring provinces has been deployed on our provincial roads targeting various categories of crime including overloading, drinking and driving, driving unroadworthy vehicles, driving without a licence and failure to adhere to Covid-19 Alert Level 1 Regulations,” said MEC Nkonyeni.