South Africa is moving closer to ending legal alcohol limits for motorists, after Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport backed Transport Minister Barbara Creecy’s proposal for a total ban on drinking and driving. The committee has called for the zero-tolerance law to be implemented urgently, ideally before the Easter holiday period, following another deadly festive season on the country’s roads.
Currently, South African law allows drivers to have a blood alcohol concentration of up to 0.05g/100ml. Creecy said this policy is outdated and unacceptable, particularly in light of rising road fatalities. During the festive season, 173,000 drivers were tested, with 8,561 arrested for driving under the influence — a 144% increase compared to the previous year. She said it is impossible to justify a law that permits drinking and driving to families who have lost loved ones in road accidents.
The Department of Transport has confirmed that Section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act will be amended to introduce a zero-tolerance policy. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport, chaired by Donald Selamolela, has endorsed the move, citing 1,427 road deaths during the festive period. The committee warned that without swift action, similar fatality figures could be repeated over Easter, and stressed the need for urgent legislative implementation.
Going further, the committee has proposed harsher penalties for offenders, including lifetime bans from holding a driver’s licence for motorists caught with any alcohol in their system. Increased police visibility and stricter enforcement were also recommended to curb widespread non-compliance on the roads. The proposal has received support from COSATU, which noted that alcohol is linked to around 40% of South Africa’s estimated 14,000 annual road deaths, calling the renewed push for a total ban long overdue.