Johannesburg - While the Public Servants Association (PSA) learned with shock that SAPS failed to procure alcohol testing kits before the festive season, hundreds of motorists could not outrun the long arm of the law.
Despite the blunder, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has through integrated and joint operations in the country arrested 1 553 drunken drivers from December 1 to December 31, 2022.
The spokesperson of the SAPS, Colonel Athlenda Mathe, said while the SAPS acknowledged delays in the distribution of the alcohol blood test kits to police stations ahead of the busy festive period, they put measures in place to circumvent the delays.
“Through continuous collaboration with other law enforcement agencies which include the conducting of joint roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints with the local, metro, provincial and national traffic departments, the SAPS was able to apprehend 1553 drunken drivers.
“This collaboration of integrated and joint roadblocks which include other government departments such as the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and Department of Health (DOH) also means the sharing of resources, including the alcohol blood tests,” Mathe said.
PSA National Manager, Claude Naiker, said the Police Minister, Bheki Cele shamelessly blamed the procurement section without taking responsibility for the failure to adequately resource the department and ensure the filling of vacant positions as SAPS, like other government departments, experiences a chronic shortage of staff.
“A failure such as this creates an impractical situation wherein law enforcement officers will have to take all suspected drivers to the hospitals for their blood to be drawn as the same will be needed as evidence in a court of law. The culprits might escape facing the law due to this incompetence, lack of proper planning, and failure to capacitate government entities.
“Police and traffic officers will find it difficult to execute their responsibilities. It must be stated that alcohol testing kits are part of the tools of the trade and are as important as being provided with rifles, bullets, safety vests, and cars in good condition,” he said.
Naiker added that law enforcement officials could not be expected to do their job without being resourced hence the minister and his executive committee (Exco) must take responsibility for failing the workers and the nation.
“Unfortunately, the health department is already burdened owing to high hospital admissions during festive seasons and the problem is exacerbated by the chronic shortage of staff, hence they are not able to provide health professionals to join the roadblock teams. The minister must swiftly act to address the problem as we expect the traffic to increase in the new year,” Naiker said.
The SAPS, however, assured South Africa that distribution of these kits would commence once stringent testing of the newly procured alcohol blood test kits had been concluded.
“While this has proven to be a lengthy process, it is necessary for the newly procured kit to undergo this process as the alcohol blood test kits are a vital piece of evidence presented before a court in drunken driving cases. The SAPS thus assures the nation that once confirmation of compliance is obtained, distribution to stations will commence,” said Mathe.
The breakdown of arrests per province is as follows from starting period 1 December to 31 December 2022:
GP – 814
FS – 188
WC – 182
MP – 138
KZN – 76
NW – 60
EC – 50