With the Easter weekend fast approaching, law enforcement agencies in Newcastle have begun ramping up visibility on local roads, warning motorists that drinking and driving, reckless conduct and non-compliance will come under sharp scrutiny in the days ahead.
Motorists were stopped in large numbers as officers checked vehicle roadworthiness, verified drivers’ licences and tested for intoxication, while also using the opportunity to reinforce road safety messages ahead of one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Addressing officials and the media at the scene, Newcastle Municipality’s Strategic Executive Director for Community Services, Gift Bubelele Dlamini, said road fatalities remain one of the country’s most persistent causes of death, with serious crashes often claiming or injuring multiple people at a time.
He said drunk driving and road rage continue to rank among the leading causes of collisions, adding that municipal traffic officers would work closely with the Road Traffic Inspectorate and SAPS throughout the Easter weekend in a bid to curb dangerous behaviour on the roads.
Dlamini also raised concerns about the conduct of some taxi drivers, saying poor adherence to road regulations remains a recurring problem.
He called on role players within the taxi industry to help ensure that drivers operate within the law.
At district level, Amajuba District Commissioner Major-General Fred Alexander confirmed that additional operations and roadblocks would be rolled out across the holiday period. He said law enforcement agencies would be working in close coordination, with a number of key priorities guiding the deployments.
Among the biggest concerns, he said, is driving under the influence of alcohol.
“Unfortunately, the Amajuba District is one of the leading districts where driving under the influence is problematic. However, we will be clamping down on these offenders over the Easter Weekend,” Alexander said.
The local operation forms part of a much wider provincial enforcement drive.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has confirmed that more than 3,483 law enforcement officers, supported by an additional 105 national police officers, will be deployed across the province under Operation Nenzani La Ezweni.
The enforcement campaign will run around the clock, seven days a week, until 3 May 2026.
Provincial authorities have outlined the scale of the campaign, which will include 148 multidisciplinary roadblocks, more than 80 of them specifically targeting drunk driving. In addition, over 118 speed operations will be carried out in high-accident areas and other locations expected to attract large numbers of visitors and worshippers. More than 17 interprovincial roadblocks will also be undertaken by roaming law enforcement teams.
The Department has also indicated that more than 91 operations will focus on scholar transport during the school holiday period, while unroadworthy vehicles and taxis will be removed from the roads.
In a new step this year, the Department will also conduct 28 pedestrian enforcement operations, with drunk pedestrians walking on busy roads also set to face penalties.
Authorities said pedestrians who ignore designated bridges on certain routes will likewise be fined.
The intensified road safety push comes as KwaZulu-Natal prepares for a major Easter tourism surge. The province’s Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs expects visitor activity over the period to generate about R902 million in tourism revenue, supported by an estimated 312,814 domestic trips and 57,106 international visitors between 30 March and 5 April 2026.
The projections follow a strong festive season, during which more than 1.2 million visitors moved through the province, while several districts recorded occupancy rates above 80%. That momentum, according to provincial authorities, has continued into the Easter period, with demand spread across coastal, inland and northern tourism regions.
International travel into the province also appears to be strengthening.
In December 2025 alone, KwaZulu-Natal recorded 291,324 foreign visitors, marking a 14% increase compared with the previous year.
Looking ahead to Easter, northern districts are expected to perform especially well. uMkhanyakude, iLembe and uThukela are forecast to post occupancy rates of 56%, 53% and 53% respectively, while Ugu is expected to reach 49%. Inland districts including Amajuba, King Cetshwayo and Harry Gwala are projected to sit at 38%, 39% and 39%, with uMgungundlovu expected at 35%.
Furthermore, religious tourism is again expected to play a major role, with large pilgrimages likely to draw thousands of worshippers to churches and historic religious sites such as Ekuphakameni in Inanda and Nhlangakazi in Ndwedwe. Church gatherings, conferences and revival services across both urban and rural communities are also expected to support demand in transport, accommodation, hospitality and the informal economy.
Industry stakeholders say demand remains relatively firm, even as consumers continue adjusting spending habits in a pressured economic environment.
As traffic volumes begin rising across KwaZulu-Natal, authorities say there will be little tolerance for motorists who flout the law.
At the same time, the projected tourism boost means more people, more vehicles and more pressure on already busy routes. That raises the stakes for both motorists and pedestrians. In the end, the success of the Easter period will not be measured only in roadblocks, fines or visitor spend, but in how many people make it home safely.
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