Joburg's 'scary' drunk driving stats
The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) says more than 2000 motorists were arrested for drinking and driving between July and September.
JMPD chief David Tembe released the city’s monthly crime statistics on Monday.
“In total, it’s scary, 2038 just in three months, and I am not counting this month. These are the people who go out there and drive under the influence of alcohol. Even those who drive taxis in the morning, we find them drunk and they drive recklessly and don’t care about the people they are taking.”
He said more training is on the cards for metro police officers to ensure those who don’t obey the rules of the road are brought to book.
“Negligent driving means those people who skip robots and cause accidents. It is difficult to prove this in a court of law. We need to train our metro police officers to be able to write proper statements and give evidence. There are other spheres of government who are going to assist us in training our officers.
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“Currently, it’s easier to get a conviction using ‘inconsiderate driving’, however, if people have been killed, it’s nothing less than reckless and negligent driving.”
Tembe said those who damage the city’s property such as traffic lights and any other infrastructure because of negligent driving will receive the toughest punishment.
Mayor Herman Mashaba used the opportunity to lash out at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for failure to act on over 60 cases of fraud referred to it by the city’s fraud investigative unit.
Last month, Mashaba said he had written to President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in the matter.
“Restoring law and order in the city is important for investment. With this exercise, we seek to force the national criminal justice system to actually act on information we have provided them on serious and sensitive criminal acts. Remember countries that succeed in dealing with crime are proactive.”