Thanks to Covid19, and support from the unpopular police chief Bheki Cele, Transport minister Fikile Mbalula’s promise to totally ban drink driving in January, came a step closer to becoming Law with the publishing of the The National Road Traffic Amendment Bill on Monday, which was approved by Cabinet in draft form in March. The new law would drop the permissible blood alcohol level for anyone driving a motor vehicle to zero.
The draft bill which had broad support when it was approved by Cabinet in March, unsurprisingly has the support of police chief Bheki Cele, who has already upset many with his draconian prohibition on alcohol and tobacco during the lockdown. The new law which takes an extreme line on drink driving levels is touted to help make law enforcement easier. If that means just throw anyone who smells of liquor or has been anywhere near a drink in the last few hours in jail, then it seems their job will indeed be easier, and the bribes bigger and more
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