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By PHUMELELE MTSETFWA | 2024-10-22
MBABANE Senior Magistrate Sifiso Vilakati has had enough – and now wants something to be done to discourage drink-driving following the high number of offenders queueing for their cases every Monday.
The magistrate yesterday joined the bandwagon of those calling for stiffer drink-driving fines in order to discourage the increase cases of this nature.
He said such would ensure that the people who drive under the influence of alcohol clearly get the message.
Vilakati noted that on Mondays, the Mbabane magistrate’s court was always packed with offenders because they drove around while under the influence of alcohol after having fun.
He pleaded with the offenders to refrain from driving when under the influence of alcohol, stating that it was dangerous because it contributed to the escalating cases of accidents.
Vilakati added that offenders must stop driving under the influence of alcohol because they could use the money they pay as fines to cater for their family needs. One of the offenders who appeared before Magistrate Vilakati, Thabo Maseko said he would take a break from drinking alcohol after spending the whole weekend in custody having been arrested on Friday.
Maseko, who had an alcohol reading of 0.53mg/l, said he had learnt from his mistakes. He was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment with an option of E1 500 fine. Meanwhile, four offenders appeared before Mbabane Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi after they recorded over one mg/l alcohol content.
Two of the offenders claimed that the police did not show them their results when they were arrested.
Xolani Mavuso, who recorded an alcohol content of 1.80 mg/l claimed that he was confused and was waiting for a sober driver when the police arrested him.
During mitigation, he pleaded with the court to be lenient with his sentencing as he claimed that he had just lost his child, and was also preparing for the funeral. Magistrate Nhlabatsi sentenced him to two years imprisonment with an option of E5 000 fine.
Another offender Vincent Gama, who recorded an alcohol content of 1.81 mg/ l, pleaded with the court not to impose a harsh sentence because he had been in custody since Friday. he claimed that the mother of his children got married to another man.
“I am pleading for leniency because I do not know if my children were able to attend school,” he said.
He was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of E5 000 fine.
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