File picture of a road block in KZN.
Durban - POST has established that ahead of festive season, law enforcement in the province does not have alcohol blood kits to test for drunken driving and is still in the process of procuring the kits.
This means that the police cannot test the sobriety of drivers at accident scenes.
Colonel Athlenda Mathe, a SAPS national spokesperson said: “SAPS has been informed that there is a global shortage of vials, which is a component of the test kit. The SAPS has met with the supplier responsible for delivering alcohol blood kits.
“We are awaiting feedback regarding the progress and arrangements the supplier has made with the manufacturer.”
Mathe said the SAPS was working to ensure it had the necessary tools and resources to prevent, combat and investigate drunken driving cases.
Brigadier Rajen Chin, the director of specialised law enforcement for Metro Police, said: “Metro Police in eThekwini does not have any kits.
“We sent out a tender about a month ago and we are waiting for feedback.”
In September, Michelle Allison Naidoo and her son, Jared, 20, were killed in an accident on the N2 after another vehicle hit their car.
Her husband, Leslie Naidoo, a pastor at Gateway International Kingdom Community in Chatsworth, was injured in the accident.
Glenton Naidoo, a relative, told POST at the time that at the accident scene he had asked a police officer if the driver of the other vehicle would be tested for drunken driving.
He was allegedly told the police did not have the necessary kits to perform the test.
“It’s been almost two months since the accident and we have not received feedback from the authorities regarding arrests. They could not even test the alcohol levels of the driver because they did not have kits.
“This has been such an injustice to our family because an arrest would give us some closure that the person responsible for taking away our relatives is being held accountable. What is the point of having an entire traffic department when lives are being lost daily on our roads? Government does not seem to have a grip on what is going on. In our incident, there is no accountability, no answers, the police have not followed up, and there is no remorse shown from anyone in authority.”
Metro police departments in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Ekurhuleni, in contrast, said they have kits and breathalysers to test alcohol levels.
Visvin Reddy, leader of the African Democratic Change (ADeC), said it was concerning that alcohol blood kits were not available in KZN.
“Past incidents show that the police are unable to test the sobriety of the drivers, especially when people are killed. Not having these test kits shows that killers are allowed to walk free.
“The mayor and police minister need to tell us what the stumbling blocks are in terms of procurement of the kits, This alone shows that those that are in charge cannot manage the simplest of things.”
Thabani Mthethwa, DA caucus leader, said: “This is a reflection of everything gone wrong in the city. KZN is a tourism hot spot during the festive season.
“The procurement of the kits should have been a priority. How will police now reprimand those that drive under the influence? Our city will become lawless.”
Mdu Nkosi of the IFP said the municipality had no systems in place to ensure things ran smoothly. “The municipal manager needs to put systems in place to resolve this matter.”
Layton Beard, spokesperson for the Automobile Association, said: “KZN is one of the provinces with the highest number of accidents during the festive season.
“It is incredibly distressing that these kits are not available and it is going to exacerbate the issue of drunken driving.”
The Post