A male and female officer from the South African Police Service (SAPS), along with a taxi driver transporting 24 passengers, were arrested on Saturday night for drunk driving during weekend by-law enforcement operations in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Department of Transport and Human Settlements confirmed the arrests in a statement released yesterday.

Ndabezinhle Sibiya, spokesperson for MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma, said a total of 27 people were arrested during two major multi-disciplinary road operations conducted on Saturday night.

“A male police officer from the Port Edward SAPS branch was found to have had breath alcohol content (BAC) of 1.05 mg/L – more than six times the legal limit,” said Sibiya.

“A female officer from Southport Police Station in Port Shepstone was also arrested, with a BAC of 0.85 mg/L – four times over the legal limit.”

“In another serious case in Ladysmith, officers from the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) arrested a minibus taxi driver for carrying 24 passengers – eight more than legally allowed.

“The driver was found to be under the influence, with a BAC of 1.08 mg/L – five times the legal limit,” said Sibiya.

Duma said his department has been instructed to prepare a comprehensive report for the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster, which was tasked with ensuring collaboration among law enforcement and justice departments to combat crime and uphold national security.

“The arrest of police officers – and a senior public prosecutor in another recent case – for drunk driving is a serious violation that demands urgent attention,” Duma said.

The department praised the efforts of the RTI, and said that its members responded with urgency to the call for maintaining safer roads.

“We remain firm and determined to protect innocent families from the devastation caused by heartless and reckless motorists,” said Sibiya.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL News

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