KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, has praised the province’s Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officers for their bravery following two major incidents on the N3 and N2 this weekend.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Duma detailed how a drunk motorist caused chaos on the N3 in the early hours of the morning. The incident began when a distressed female motorist alerted authorities after her vehicle was struck by a fleeing driver.

RTI officers later intercepted a white Mahindra bakkie on Chota Motala Road. When confronted, the suspect allegedly assaulted one of the officers before speeding off, colliding with several vehicles as he attempted to evade arrest. The pursuit stretched through Howick and Hilton, where the suspect’s vehicle again collided with other motorists.

During the chase, RTI officer Phiwokuhle Ndabezitha was injured after rear-ending the suspect’s vehicle in an attempt to bring the matter under control. He has since been commended for his courage, with Duma wishing him a speedy recovery.

The drunk driver was eventually apprehended and has been remanded in custody. He faces several charges, including assault, reckless and negligent driving, and fleeing the scene of an accident.

In a separate incident on the N2 southbound near Park Rynie, RTI officers arrested an IT specialist who was caught driving at 192km/h.

Duma said the arrests highlight his department’s commitment to cracking down on reckless road users. “Months ago, I mandated the RTI team to clean up our road networks by coming down very hard on reckless and drunk motorists. It is for this reason that we have advertised 278 new traffic officer posts to strengthen our dedicated and efficient RTI team,” he said.