A KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate officer gets ready to administer a breathalyser test to a motorist during a roadblock blitz that nabbed 27 motorists who were caught driving under the influence of alcohol in uMhlanga and Durban North on Friday night.
Image: KZN Transport
Twenty-seven motorists, including four women, were arrested for drunk driving during late-night roadblocks in uMhlanga Rocks and Durban North on Friday night as KwaZulu-Natal authorities intensify road safety operations ahead of the busy Easter holidays and Passover weekend.
The arrests were carried out by Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officers working alongside Operation Shanela teams during coordinated enforcement operations.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said the crackdown forms part of a wider effort to remove reckless drivers from the province’s road network during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The motorists are expected to appear in court on Monday.Among those arrested was a driver whose blood alcohol concentration measured ten times above the legal limit, highlighting the severity of the offences being detected during the roadblocks.
One of the four women motorists who were arrested for drunken driving at a multidisciplinary roadblock blitz in uMhlanga and Durban North on Friday night. In total, twenty-seven motorists were arrested, and they will only appear in court on Monday as the Department of Transport in KwaZulu-Natal cracks down on violations ahead of the long Easter and Passover weekend travel.
Image: KZN Transport
Authorities said the oldest motorist arrested was 58 years old, while the youngest was 21.
Duma said law enforcement teams were strictly following the Criminal Procedure Act to ensure successful prosecution of offenders. This includes the processing of blood samples by trained nurses deployed by both the Durban Metro Police and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health.
The nurses are assisting with the mandatory blood sampling of motorists under the ongoing #NenzaniLaEzweni Operation, which has been launched to strengthen road safety enforcement during the holiday period.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport is cracking down on traffic violations ahead of the long weekend of Easter and Passover travel. On Friday night, twenty-seven motorists were arrested for drunken driving in uMhlanga and Durban North in a multidisciplinary roadblock blitz.
Image: KZN Transport
More than 80 roadblocks targeting drunk driving will be conducted across the province as part of the operation.
Duma warned that authorities would adopt a zero-tolerance approach to intoxicated drivers.
“Our message has not changed and is very clear: drink and drive and earn yourself a criminal record,” he said.
He added that offenders also risk spending up to 48 hours in holding cells, often alongside hardened criminals, before appearing in court.
As part of the broader holiday road safety plan, the department will deploy 148 multidisciplinary roadblocks and 118 speed enforcement operations in high-accident zones and areas frequently visited by holidaymakers and worshippers during Easter and Passover.
Authorities say the intensified operations aim to curb road fatalities and ensure safer travel across KwaZulu-Natal during the peak holiday travel period.