The department has identified young people as particularly vulnerable to road accidents.
KwaZulu-Natal’s Road Traffic Inspectorate arrested 77 motorists for driving under the influence during a weekend operation following a directive from MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma.
The arrests occurred between the evening of 15 August and the early hours of 16 August 2025.
The operation formed part of the department’s Zero Tolerance, No Nonsense and Alufakwa campaigns targeting intoxicated drivers across the province.
Drunk driving weekend operation results
According to the MEC, the RTI team, led by a female commander and comprising mainly female law enforcement officers, stopped 251 vehicles during the operation.
In addition to the DUI arrests, officers discovered 11 motorists driving without valid licenses and removed two vehicles from the roads that “resembled moving coffins” due to their poor condition.
The arrests were spread across five major centres in the province.
Duma revealed that Durban recorded the highest number with 29 arrests, followed by Pietermaritzburg with 17, Kokstad with 12, Empangeni with 11, and Ladysmith with 5.
The operation received support from the South African Police Service, Durban Metro Police, Umsunduzi Traffic, and traffic officers from various municipalities across KwaZulu-Natal.
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MEC’s mandate and campaign
Duma issued the directive on 15 August, which was payday, instructing his team to take decisive action against drunk drivers.
“I mandated the team to arrest intoxicated drivers and ensure that they sober up in cells during the greater part of the weekend,” said Duma.
The MEC emphasised the department’s commitment to removing dangerous drivers from provincial roads.
“Our campaign against drunken driving is now in full swing, and we will only rest once all irresponsible motorists are removed from our roads,” he added.
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Alcohol-related crash statistics
According to Duma, statistics from the Road Traffic Management Corporation reveal that 27.1% of fatal crashes in South Africa are linked to driver alcohol intoxication.
This figure underscores the significance of the department’s crackdown on drunk driving.
The MEC noted that winter months present particular challenges for road safety.
“Critically, we reported in June that the winter period is characterised by increased night travel involving young people, especially over weekends,” Duma explained.
According to Duma, car accidents become more frequent during winter months due to longer nights and reduced visibility, factors that compound the risks associated with impaired driving.
Youth road safety crisis
The department has identified young people as particularly vulnerable to road accidents.
“We were informed by the Road Accident Fund that the agency paid out R43 billion for injury benefits to young accident survivors aged between 15 and 34,” Duma shared.
This is for the period between 2020 and 2022, and the amount represents 44% of all claims and averages R14 billion annually.
According to the MEC, the agency also disbursed R2.86 billion in death-related benefits for young victims during the same period.
“We want to save young people from road accidents, as they are the future,” Duma revealed.
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