Times Of Swaziland: The shaming of drunk drivers

The shaming of drunk drivers
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By Nomsa Mbuli  and Sibusisiwe Lukhele on 27/08/2013 02:10:00


With any holiday comes an inevitable spate of ‘don’t drink and drive’
advertisements.  Alarmingly, in our national newspapers and television are
increasing cases of both men and women who are caught driving drunk day and
night, especially on the weekends.
Now, the reports of the courtroom proceedings are almost invariably stern and
overbearing, and seemingly designed to frighten people into not drinking and
driving, instead of inducing them to use their good sense to take care of
themselves.
Questions about whether an offender has children or if he or she is married
often seems out of line and a bit too personal. If there is any message to be
put across through those questions, it is likely to fall flat with those people
who are getting drunk or high as a kind of temporary ‘mini-rebellion’
against some of the confines of their lives … which is to say, it’s likely
to fall flat with precisely those people who need it most.
The escalating numbers of drunk drivers are only a fraction of the indication of
what is really happening in the country in terms of alcohol among young people
especially. This article is not meant to criticise or shame young drinkers, but
it is meant to realistically bring a picture of what is happening out there and
how it can possibly be redeemed. It is easy to note that we have an epidemic of
binge drinking among young people - including young women - in this country,
some of these cases have resulted in death, in car accidents as well as
killings, if anyone remembers the Simunye Fun Fair incident a few years ago?
Though a few have done it, there is not one female who thinks that drinking to
the point of blacking out is necessarily a healthy or safe thing to do - for a
variety of reasons. We could stumble into the street and get hit by a car, or
trip and fall and be severely injured, or pass out in the cold and freeze to
death, the worst case being finding oneself at a greater risk for sexual
assault.
All of the aforementioned incidents have happened to various members of both
genders in states of extreme intoxication. Although the latter reason, sexual
assault, would find one’s feminist card revoked from the powers that be, it is
true and cannot be ignored.
As much as we rebuke ‘victim shaming’, we cannot shy away from the truth and
reality of certain situations.
A couple of years ago, a body of a woman was found behind the waiting room at
the Mangwaneni Bus Stop. Reliable sources claimed that the woman had been seen
at a drinking spot, shebeen, a couple of hours before the claimed time of death.
Reports revealed that the woman had been raped before being stabbed to death by
her murderer.
For obvious reasons, if those in authority warn females, “Be careful of how
much you and your friends drink at any party. A glass or two is one thing, but
drinking more than that and everyone’s judgment - both yours and any guys that
may be there - is no longer what you want for it to be,” the person delivering
the message is vilified as a rape apologist.
Those of you familiar with our writing know that we are no rape apologists, and
have been vocal critics of the blame the victim first and the rapist second
mentality that permeates our criminal justice system. But we will also not be
apologists for political correctness to the detriment of a cause that we care
about.
While some advertisement campaigns and laws may not have completely nailed it
visually speaking, we’re all for advertisements and judgments that discourage
young women and young men from drinking to the point of being unable to safely
operate a vehicle or being unsafe for another person to be around.