Africa-Press – South-Africa. South Africa still has a shortage of drunk driving testing kits and no date has been given for when they will be available in the country.
This comes as scores of holidaymakers travel across the country over the festive season during one of the busiest periods on the country’s roads.
Last month, News24 reported that the South African Police Service (Saps) were informed of a global shortage of vials, a component of the testing kits which ensures they have the necessary tools and resources to prevent, combat and investigate drunk driving cases.
At the time, Saps said that they had met with the supplier responsible for delivering the alcohol blood testing kits and confirmed that the vials were received. They expected the test kits by the end of November, in time for the December festive period.
On Friday, however, police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe told News24 the drunk driving testing kits had still not been delivered and that no date had been given for when they would be available in the country.
“At this point, the supplier has managed to obtain vials on the international market [but] because this is a new vial and not previously tested, the Saps and National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) is in the process of testing and validating the vials to ensure compliance to the SAPS specifications.”
Mathe emphasised the importance of the vials undergoing the necessary testing to ensure compliance so that the accuracy of evidence presented could stand up in court.
In the meantime, police officers will have to provide an observation report in the form of an affidavit that will explain the physical appearance and behaviour of suspected drunk drivers.
Mathe said:
Despite no kits, the police’s joint operations have so far arrested more than 300 people for drunk driving in Gauteng, 200 in Limpopo and 27 in KwaZulu-Natal.
“In most of the provinces, we are working together as a team with local, provincial, metros, the national traffic departments and the Road Traffic Management Corporation in conducting multidisciplinary and integrated joint law enforcement operations, which include joint roadblocks and the sharing of information [regarding the kits],” Mathe added.
Meanwhile, the Western Cape has testing kits to last them until April next year after the province received stock in November.
“The kits received will assist Provincial Traffic Services to successfully continue to conduct drinking and driving operations across the province,” said the province’s transport department spokesperson Jandre Bakker.
“The drawing of a blood sample will be for prosecutorial purposes, and we will continue with the same practice over the festive period to arrest motorists who feel they have the liberty to drive drunk and show blatant disregard for any other innocent road user,” Bakker added.
Over the past week, more than 80 motorists were arrested for driving under the influence, while 13 pedestrians were killed in crashes on Western Cape roads.
In KwaZulu-Natal, Senior Superintendent Geraldine Stevens from the eThekwini metro police said they had no blood bottles to store samples from drunk drivers.
“By law, we are requested to use blood bottles with new specifications. As the metro police, we are unable to secure a service provider for the new blood bottles,” said Stevens.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
