Dire warning for motorists who do not obey rules

Traffic officials countrywide have increased surveillance on South Africa’s roads as the end-of-year-holiday traffic rush gets under way. Law enforcement spokesperson Collen Msibi says roadblocks will be set-up on most of the busiest routes and offenders can expect little or no mercy. Random checks will be held for speeding, drunken driving and drug abuse. Msibi warned that driving under the influence could lead to a fine of 120-thousand rand or six years imprisonment. The death toll on the country’s roads since the start of the holiday season stands at 560. Of these, 325 were pedestrians.