29/03/2026
67 motorists arrested for drunk driving in Umhlanga and Durban North this weekend: Duma reveals conditions of motorists arrested including a Polo Driver who insisted that he was waiting for a robot to turn green when there were no robots in the intersection
Media and Public Statement by the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma
29 March 2026
Inkosi Mhlabunzima Maphumulo House: We are overwhelmed by a positive feedback from the people of KwaZulu-Natal and the whole country.
Having followed the live streaming of the operations last night, they are supporting RTI for removing over intoxicated motorists.
Below are key takeaways:-
●A Lady in Red cried uncontrollable and pleaded her innocence. She insisted that she only drank tea and was coming from gym. She refused to be associated with alcohol and said she preferred gym to build her strength and herbal tea to sustain her good mental well-being;
●A motorist was so terrified when asked to the extent of urinating himself. He subsequently offered a bribe of between R500 to R1200 live on Facebook;
●A Polo Driver was arrested at the intersection - with a stop sign only, not robots. But, when RTI asked the driver why it took him so long to proceed he responded: “We are waiting for the robot to turn green.”
The driver and his friend were both too drunk and showed a condition known as alcohol-induced visual hallucination. This happens when someone is seeing things that are not there.
●One motorist demanded to be detained in the holding cells with a see view along Umhlanga Beach.
We are encouraged by the decline in road fatalities and accidents since the launch of the Easter Road Safety campaign on the 24th March 2026.
Importantly, from operations executed in Umhlanga and Durban North on Friday and Saturday, the Road Traffic Inspectorate arrested 67 motorists for drunk driving.
On Friday, RTI arrested 27 motorists in operations executed in both Umhlanga and Durban North.
On Saturday evening, 40 motorists were arrested in the operation that focused on Durban North alone.
Ends
Issued by the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements
Enquiries
Ndabezinhle Sibiya | 082 375 4742 | Spokesperson | MEC for Transport and Human Settlements
