🔒 Must drivers be banned from drinking? Mbalula says yes; suggests 0% limit

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By Jarryd Neves

The Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, has sparked a furore on Twitter, after stating that he plans on pushing for a 0% alcohol limit for drivers in South Africa.

Mbalula has said that cabinet is currently undertaking the task of introducing the Road Traffic Amendment Bill, which will prohibit all motorists from driving a motor vehicle with any amount of alcohol in their bloodstream. The bill was introduced in June of this year.

In a virtual press briefing, the Transport Minister addressed the various changes to transport laws in lockdown, which includes revised regulations on aviation, railway, maritime and road travel. He said that road fatalities and traffic collisions – which cost the economy a hefty R18,2-billion a year – were greatly reduced during the ban on alcohol. The second alcohol ban was lifted on the 17th of August.

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This follows a horrific accident that took place at the weekend, when three Tshwane metro police officers were tragically killed when the vehicle they were travelling in was involved in a head-on collision with a suspected drunk driver.

“As a country, we need to review our laws on the access of alcohol. We need to address this as it continues to kill our people on roads and everywhere.” said Mbalula in a recent tweet.

His intentions weren’t met with open arms. Many Twitter users took to the social media platform, attacking Mbalula for his push to implement a 0% alcohol limit. Mbalula also came under fire for expressing his views on the public’s access to alcohol, saying that he wants to regulate and control the access to alcohol, not ban it completely.

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His contentious tweeting brought about an unflattering hashtag on the social media platform, with disgruntled Twitter users expressing their views using ‘#voetsekFikile.’ Unmoved by the colourful wording, the Transport Minister even took to using the hashtag in order to get his points across to more people – even those who disagree with him.

 

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