We can't allow drunks to rule the roads

I am surprised that, after I had thought the Nozibele Bujela and drink-driving issue had been put to rest, Small Beer Trader brings it back to discussion (Times of Swaziland June 22, 2010).

I won’t be long today, because I extensively debated this issue in my article of March 29, 2010 and the editor also did the same in his editorial comments.

Actually there is nothing new and of substance that Small Beer Trader has come up with, it is still an issue of people valuing money more than human life.

Let me declare my interest, I am a police officer who will jump to the defence of our actions where I feel we are unjustly criticised.

Likewise, anyone who reads my articles will know that I am not a blind loyalist. I have criticised the police where I see inefficiency and unprofessionalism.

With this article, you shouldn’t think I am defending cops because I am one of them; it’s just that I am a critical thinker.

I am happy that you know that drink-driving should be penalised, but for us cops to do that we need the law.

It is the very same law that was passed by Bujela as a senator that gives us the powers to test drivers for the level of alcohol they have consumed.

To call us sniffer dogs is an insult and it comes from an ignorant mind, the breathalyzer is for evidence in court. It is not us, cops, who make the law but the Parliament where Bujela belongs.

If in Mozambique and RSA they allow you to drive and kill people on the road, drink-drivers should rather go there, lapha sisetanibopha. Secondly, you cannot fool us with SA, and say drink-drivers are allowed to booze around, nogal.

By your own attestation, you say SA fines are higher than in Swaziland, why is that?

Is it not because they want to eradicate this bad habit?

Your whole article is obviously perpetrated by your desire to make money. You are only looking at the business side, but as a country we cannot afford to boost our economy at the expense of human life and people’s cars that get damaged. You want us to have a lawlessness situation where the roads are castigated by drunkards. Even the alcohol brewers preach drinking responsibly.

Some of your concerns can be best addressed by Bujela herself in Parliament by amending the drink-driving law, as it is, we are not going to hunt anyone as you claim but we will arrest anyone we find drink-driving on public roads, as per the law.

What we will not do is baby-sit drunkards, what do you expect us to do when a bar owner alerts us of a drunk driver who needs help?

Do you expect us to drive him or her home, call a taxi for him/her? Asidlali phela la.

I would support you if you were complaining about jaywalking, because I also feel that is one law that needs to be scrapped.

Economist

Comments

This issue needs more attention than we think, police officers are people like us they have their own social life too...honestly 70% of the arrested drunk drivers are mostly targeted for personal issues with the police, i have got a prove of a no nonsense so called officer in Nhlangano whom i recorded a conversation with who disclosed that he was very hot on the road because people (abamubhashisi yena kantsi phela nami imali ngiyayifuna) he loosely said! Suprising me is that he is said to be a pastor Gwebu in one of the ZION church so don"t dare guarantee his drink and driving arrest as true, these police are competing for customers ngaletidzakwa coz they trace every move you make then they will follow you from a watering hole overtake you then arrest you without breaking any road signs, my concern is babolalaphi kantsi nasebadzakiwe..police should stop making people commit adultry.
June 30, 2010, 1:31 pm, Banyana (khetsiwedlamini@yahoo.com)

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: