Drunk drivers to be severely punished in KZN

The KwaZulu-Natal government says it is taking a stand, as it wants to severely punish drivers caught drunk over the Easter holidays.

As a campaign to strengthen safety on provincial roads began this Thursday morning at the Marrianhill Toll Plaza, KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Mr Thami Ntuli, and eThekwini Mayor, Mr Cyril Xaba, were on hand to assist police in searching vehicles heading towards Durban.

The provincial Transport Minister, Mr Siboniso Duma, says the solution to the problem of drunk drivers on the roads is to give them harsher sentences.

“People don’t realize how much the government is costing itself because of drunk drivers. The Department of Transport is losing a lot of money because of these people, as is the Department of Health. On top of all that, innocent lives are being lost because of people who are not thinking about themselves and the nation.

“A stiff sentence of six years and above could be a solution because people don’t listen when they are warned. They are fined if they break the law, they pay the fine, and that’s it,” he said. 

In KwaZulu-Natal, the Department of Transport has deployed 837 roadblocks across the province. There are also mobile courts, which will prosecute those found drunk on the roads. The roadblocks will be in place in the province until the end of the Easter holidays.

The National Roads Act makes it an offence to drive with a blood alcohol content of more than 0.05 grams.