POLICE CHIEF WANTS CUSTODIAL SENTENCE FOR DRINK-DRIVERS

MBABANE – Could drink- drivers soon find themselves serving time?

If the National Commissioner of Police Isaac Magagula had it his way, perhaps the structures that be would consider giving out custodial sentences to people found to have committed this offence.

Magagula made this known during a press briefing yesterday.
He said the issue of drink- driving was showing no sign of abating besides all the warnings that have been issued and continue to flag about its hazards in the roads safety landscape.

Magagula noted that the police service had time and again pointed out that drink-driving was one of the major causes of both fatal and serious accidents and it was worrisome that motorists were persisting with such an untoward and dangerous practice.

To show the seriousness of the scourge, the national commissioner pointed out that from a total of 401 accidents which occurred in the country since January to date, more than 50 per cent were attributed to drink-driving and while the other half maybe traced to speeding and reckless driving which could also be linked to drink-driving as well.

Just over the past five weekends, 500 cases of drink-driving have been recorded by the Royal Swaziland Police.
The recent KaKhoza- Mhlaleni pile-up, which reincarnated the horrific Malagwane accident of 2014, was caused by a drink-driver.
“This recent pile-up was terrible but at least no one died and given the stubbornness exhibited by motorists, perhaps it is now high time for the structures to consider custodial sentences for drinking-driving offenders,” said Magagula, further expressing hope that the relevant stakeholders who were responsible for reviewing the fines proposed by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, will apply their minds fully on their decision and take into account and prioritise safety of citizens.

Speaking on ritual murder, Magagula said they were barbaric.
He noted the escalating issues of child abduction and mutilation. He spoke about the skull of a 14-year-old boy of Dumako in Hlathikhulu, which was found in the area and Sidwashini’s Qiniso Mhlanga, who was abducted and found mutilated by the river.
He said investigations were being conducted on these issues.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: