Inkosi Mhlabunzima Maphumulo House: Our highly efficient team from the Road Traffic Inspectorate, working with the South African Police Services, has arrested a truck driver for drinking and driving in Van Reenen along the N3 Freeway.
He is currently in police cells in Ladysmith.
The driver, whom we cannot name at this stage until his court appearance, was driving a truck with the registration number JG43DLGP.
He blew 0.32 mg/1000ml, which is three times more than the legal limit of 0.10 mg/1000ml.
There is also another driver who was caught driving intoxicated, and his first appearance in court is on the 18th August 2025.
This one was caught driving a truck with the registration number BH78GCZN HMV. He blew 2.0mg/1000ml, which is twenty times more than the legal limit of 0,10mg /1000ml.
Weeks ago, we laid to rest nine victims of a horrific accident involving a truck in Empangeni along the N2.
Families lost their loved ones and breadwinners, with children becoming orphans as a result of one reckless truck driver.
In my meeting with senior management last week on Monday, I mandated our RTI team to strengthen their no nonsense, zero tolerance, and Alufakwa campaign on our roads.
We undertake to clamp down on bad behavior in all corners of our province.
In particular, we are paying more attention to trucks because, more than any vehicle, trucks can damage more vehicles at once, and their accidents can lead to serious injuries because of the impact.
Finally, we have agreed as the Department that our road networks, which are being constructed, rehabilitated, and repaired, should not be playgrounds for irresponsible drivers.
We must remove all these elements that are costing our country a fortune.
We have been informed that road accidents cost the South African economy over R164 billion annually, an equivalent to 3.4% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
In addition, the Road Accident Fund (RAF) paid out over R45.6 billion in claims in the 2023-2024 financial year.
