By Mapaballo Borotho
- An on-duty SANDF soldier was among 13 motorists arrested for drunk driving during a law enforcement operation in Ladysmith.
- KwaZulu-Natal authorities say 59 drunk driving arrests were made across the province over the weekend.
- MEC Siboniso Duma said the arrests prove that no one is above the law, regardless of their profession.
An on-duty member of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was among 13 motorists arrested for drunk driving in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday, 31 May 2026.
The soldier was arrested during the execution of the #NenzaniLaEzweni Operation in Ladysmith.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, said the arrest demonstrates that no one is above the law in South Africa.
During the operation, 13 motorists were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, including a taxi driver who was allegedly carrying passengers while having a blood alcohol concentration 20 times above the legal limit.
A total of 59 motorists were arrested for drunk driving across the province over the weekend.
Duma said this brings the number of drunk drivers arrested since the launch of the operation in August last year to 6,345.
“Importantly, last Friday, we announced the deployment of more than 2,000 highly efficient and no-nonsense Road Traffic Inspectorate and Operation Shanela teams throughout the corners of the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
We wish to inform the people of this province that we ensured the free flow of traffic despite widespread fears of major disruption linked to the shutdown. There was no shutdown of traffic along the N2 and N3 freeways,” said Duma.
The MEC further revealed that those arrested for drunk driving came from a variety of professions, including:
- An SANDF soldier
- A taxi driver carrying passengers
- A quality surveyor
- A nurse
- A teacher
- A data capturer
- An electrician
- An HR officer
Authorities have reiterated their warning that road users found driving under the influence of alcohol will face arrest and prosecution, regardless of their profession or status.
READ NEXT: Pretoria midwife sentenced to 23 years for crimes committed against pregnant women
The post On-duty SANDF soldier arrested for drunk driving in KwaZulu-Natal appeared first on KAYA 959.
