A KwaZulu-Natal road safety enforcement operation in Ladysmith has resulted in the arrest of 13 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol, including a taxi driver found to be 20 times over the legal alcohol limit.

The operation was conducted by the KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate over the weekend as part of ongoing efforts to reduce road fatalities and enforce compliance with traffic laws.Among those arrested was a member of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), who was reportedly on duty at the time.

Other individuals taken in include employees from several sectors such as Eskom, healthcare, education, and public administration, highlighting the widespread nature of drunk driving offences across professions.Those arrested include a nurse, a teacher, a human resources officer, a data capturer, an electrician, and a quality surveyor.In total, 59 motorists were arrested across the province during the weekend operation.

Authorities also reported that since the beginning of this enforcement campaign in August last year, a total of 6,345 drunk driving arrests have been recorded.

Officials have reiterated concerns about the persistent prevalence of alcohol-related driving offences and continue to emphasise stricter enforcement and road safety awareness campaigns to curb reckless behaviour on provincial roads.