NELSPRUIT – The police in Mpumalanga are concerned about excessive drinking by drivers on the roads. Since the beginning of the Safer Festive Season Operation, police managed to detect more than 1300 drivers from the roads who were arrested for allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol.
This poses danger, not only to these drivers but to other road users as well because most lives are lost due to people who disobey the law by consciously going behind the wheel after consumption of alcohol.
The police in Mpumalanga indicated that there has already been a loss of many lives on our roads as a result of drunk driving.
The Safer Festive Season Operation continues to make strides in the fight against crime, under the theme ‘Zizojika Izinto’, translated to “Turning the Tide against crime” and police, as well as other law enforcement agencies, urge road users, including pedestrians and passengers, to be more responsible and avoid taking alcohol if they intend to be on or near the road.
Members of the South African Police Service and other law-enforcement agencies continue to frequently monitor and conduct road policing as well as manning other checkpoints to deter as well as arrest people for drinking and driving. On Sunday, 21 December 2019, 28 were arrested at Nelspruit for driving under the influence of liquor. The Provincial Commissioner of Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma has indicated that the law enforcement agencies are also determined to enforce the law and as such will not tolerate this reckless behaviour. He has since issued a stern warning to motorists to refrain from drinking and driving.