Johannesburg - JMPD traffic officers arrested over 1000 drunk drivers on Joburg roads in the month of August 2019, performance statistics released on Thursday showed.
The arrests were made in all parts of the city in different operations, under the city’s Operation Buya Mthetho.
Out of the over 1 000 arrests made, 900 motorists were released on bail of between R500 to R1500, the report showed.
Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba said although the numbers were alarming, it showed work was being done.
“These numbers are impressive. The increase in numbers should not always be seen as an increase in criminality but it could be an increase in the efforts of our officers. The aim is to improve efforts and reduce the numbers,” he tweeted.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/BuyaMthetho?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BuyaMthetho https://t.co/AGd9zOwSpO pic.twitter.com/J0TEehfIXA
— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba)
The most drunk driving arrests came from Soweto, where more than 194 motorists were arrested in eight different police operations in August.
JMPD police chief David Tembe presented the performance statistics at council on Thursday.
The statistics showed that the inner city, which includes Braamfontein, had 123 drunk driving arrests in 10 police operations.
Officers in the inner city also arrested 30 undocumented foreigners and seized more than R273m worth of counterfeit goods in the inner city area.
In Sandton, which includes operations in Bramley and Alexandra, there were 119 arrests in eight operations.
In Orange Farm, Ennerdale and Lenasia, 95 motorists were arrested in six police operations.
In Roodepoort, which includes Cosmo City operations, six roadblocks led to 92 arrests throughout the month.
In Midrand, 85 people were arrested in 9 operations.
In Randburg and Rosebank, five roadblocks clinched 75 drunk driving motorists.
In Rossetenville and Turfontein, 45 arrests were made in six operations.