A Pastor, arrested by the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) for allegedly driving under the influence on the weekend, made his first appearance in the Mtubatuba District Court on Monday.

What began as a trip to the beach at St Lucia for a cleansing and baptism ceremony ended with the pastor spending time in police custody.

According to KZN Department of Transport MEC Siboniso Duma, the arrest took place on the R618 outside St Lucia after RTI officers stopped the pastor’s vehicle.

Members of his congregation were reportedly following behind.

“As officers approached the vehicle, they detected a strong smell of alcohol, raising suspicions that the pastor had consumed alcohol,” said Duma.

RTI officers followed standard procedure by administering a breathalyser test, which allegedly produced a blood alcohol concentration reading of 0.360%.

The legal limit for drivers is less than 0.24 milligrams (per 1 000 millilitres of breath).

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