Staff Reporter
Thirty-four motorists were arrested for drunk driving during overnight operations in Ladysmith, KZN, including a court interpreter who has previously assisted non-English speakers in similar cases, and will now represent himself in court on Monday.
The arrests took place on Saturday night into Sunday morning.
Among those arrested were a train driver, shop steward, three teachers, a policeman, a retired policeman, a paramedic, a pharmacist assistant, a bodyguard for Ladysmith’s former mayor, a municipal building control officer, and a taxi driver carrying five family members in his minibus.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma praised the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) for the operation, saying it averted potential tragedy.
“By and large, many families could be devastated, in pain, planning funerals, and mourners expressing their condolences. But God sent a highly dedicated RTI team to protect families and save KwaZulu-Natal,” Duma said in a statement.
The arrests are part of an intensified crackdown on reckless and drunk driving by the KZN DOT in the months leading up to the festive season, which typically sees a spike in road fatalities due to increased travel and alcohol consumption.
Since launching targeted operations on August 15, the department has arrested more than 3,105 motorists for drunk driving, according to statistics released by the department.
In October, designated as Transport Month, RTI teams ramped up roadblocks and patrols, with Duma announcing plans to sustain enforcement through the festive period and beyond.
Notable actions included the arrest of 64 motorists in a single night in early November, bringing the tally to 960 at that point.
In December, operations netted 33 drivers in Pongola for drunk driving and undocumented status, while a senior government official was detained on December 23 for drunk driving, speeding, reckless driving and failing to stop.
On December 26, 38 motorists were arrested in Margate, including a 74-year-old driver.
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