-Staff Writer / Sat, 27 Dec 2025
North West authorities nabbed twenty six drunk drivers and 10 motorists who attempted to bribe traffic officers across the province during the Christmas weekend. This as law enforcement intensified roadblocks and patrols to curb festive season lawlessness.
The Provincial Department of Community Safety and Transport Management spokesperson Charles Matlou said the arrests were made during high-visibility operations conducted in the Ngaka Modiri Molema and Dr Kenneth Kaunda districts amid increased traffic volumes in the days leading up to Christmas Day.
“The arrests demonstrate our zero-tolerance approach to drunk driving and corruption. Motorists who endanger lives on the road or attempt to undermine law enforcement will be arrested and charged,” Matlou said.
According to the department, most of the drunk driving arrests were recorded on Saturday, 20 December 2025, as festive travel peaked. The enforcement drive contributed to a 40% reduction in fatal crashes compared to the same period last year. Between 20 and 26 December 2024, the province recorded 24 road fatalities.
Authorities attributed the decline to a series of intervention measures implemented from the beginning of December, including increased deployment of traffic officers, extended patrol hours and targeted operations on accident-prone routes, particularly from 18:00 onwards.
MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management Wessels Morweng welcomed the reduction in fatalities but stressed that enforcement would remain firm throughout the festive season.
“We will continue to assist motorists travelling to and through the province, but we will not tolerate any form of indiscipline on our roads,” Morweng said. “With the good rains we are experiencing, roads become slippery and dangerous. Motorists must reduce speed, keep a safe following distance and drive according to road conditions, not the speed limit.”
The department revealed that two-thirds of crashes recorded between 20 and 26 December 2025 were caused by drivers losing control of their vehicles, with excessive speeding, reckless driving and alcohol abuse identified as the main contributing factors. Men aged between 23 and 48 years accounted for 90% of the fatalities recorded during the period.
Morweng also issued a warning against attempts to bribe law enforcement officers, describing such actions as serious criminal offences.
“Trying to bribe an officer will not save you from prosecution. It will only worsen your situation,” he said.
He further urged law enforcement officers to remain professional and disciplined, noting incidents where officers are deliberately provoked and selectively recorded for social med.
News Junction (Gold Standard)