While many South Africans marked the Easter weekend with family and celebration, the holiday ended in arrest for a police officer, a forensic officer, nurses and several others caught driving under the influence.
The arrests formed part of a major province-wide initiative by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport’s Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), which pressed ahead with its NenzaniLaEsweni operations over the holiday period.
According to reports, the campaign resulted in 116 arrests across Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg, Margate and Kokstad for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Focusing on the Newcastle cases, the KZN Department of Transport confirmed that 28 people were detained for drunk driving. Among those arrested were a police officer and a forensic officer, together with a state accountant, a bodyguard and three nurses.
As reported by Newcastillian News on Monday, 6 April 2026, officers had already arrested 45 people during the operation in Newcastle from Friday night, 3 April 2026, into Saturday.
That group included a groom-to-be and his father, who attempted to intervene on his son’s behalf, only to be apprehended for driving under the influence as well.
Others arrested in that earlier operation also included a lecturer, a safety manager, two teachers, two nurses, a pharmacist, a chief liaison for a local municipality (although it has not been confirmed from which municipality the official worked), as well as a student.
Even as the operation continued in Newcastle on Sunday night, the Department of Transport reported that the RTI had arrested a further 26 drunk drivers in Pietermaritzburg, despite stormy conditions.
Those detained included a public prosecutor, a town planner, an occupational therapist, and two teachers, as well as a young man who, while under the influence of alcohol, attempted to fight law enforcement when they arrested his girlfriend for driving under the influence.
In Margate, a further 31 arrests were made, while another 31 arrests were recorded in Umzimkhulu and Kokstad on the same night.
As several KZN residents now face the legal consequences of driving under the influence, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has highlighted that drunken driving remained a significant challenge on South African roads throughout the Easter long weekend.
“Arrests related to driving under the influence of alcohol increased by a staggering 39% as law enforcement officers intensified their efforts to save lives on the roads,” stated the RTMC, which pointed out that a total of 934 motorists were arrested from Thursday to Saturday countrywide. This represents an increase of 263, compared to the same period last year,” said the RTMC.
Compounding the issue, the RTMC further pointed out that there was also a 31.6 per cent increase in the number of vehicles impounded.
A total of 1,215 vehicles were impounded in the period compared to 923 in the same period last year.
“This means there were more vehicles transporting members without permits or in violation of permit conditions as people tried to make a quick buck. However, there was a sharp decrease in number of unroadworthy vehicles as the number of discontinued vehicles showed a decline of nearly 30%,” stated the RTMC, noting that a total of 688 vehicles were discontinued compared to 979 in the same period last year.
The latest arrests in Newcastle and across KwaZulu-Natal make it clear that no one is immune when it comes to driving under the influence.
From police officers and forensic experts to nurses and municipal officials, the operation exposed a disturbing breadth of offenders and reinforced that recklessness on the roads carries serious legal consequences.
With enforcement intensifying, higher impoundment rates, and a growing number of prosecutions, authorities are sending a firm message: public safety will not be compromised, and accountability applies to all.
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The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport confirmed that 116 people were arrested on Sunday night, 5 April 2026, across Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg, Margate and Kokstad for driving under the influence.
In Newcastle alone, 28 people were arrested on Sunday night as part of the Easter weekend enforcement operation.
Those arrested in Newcastle included a police officer, a forensic officer, a state accountant, a bodyguard and three nurses, among other motorists.
NenzaniLaEsweni is a road safety enforcement operation led by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport’s Road Traffic Inspectorate, aimed at cracking down on dangerous driving behaviour, including drunk driving.
Yes. According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation, arrests related to driving under the influence increased by 39% nationally from Thursday to Saturday compared to the same period last year.
Authorities are making it clear that no one is above the law and that drunk driving will not be tolerated, regardless of a person’s profession or status.
One Response
Why do out of town Officials make headlines of Alcohol consumption driving ending with high number’s with prominent community citizens. It clearly demonstrates local officials are comprised in enforcement Traffic and Crimnal detention, obviously because of been court attendance and paperwork lazy, even favorites known.