Editor: The concern with these types of claims is that the figures only look at the number of fatalities and not at a comparison between people on the roads and fatalities – less tourists, less citizens on the roads equals less fatalities too!
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s decisive focus on speed enforcement during the 2025/26 Festive Season has delivered measurable road-safety gains, earning the metro top provincial recognition and contributing to a reduction in fatal accidents.
Nelson Mandela Bay Traffic and Licensing Services ranked first in the Eastern Cape for speed-enforcement performance, with a total of 65 589 speed-related prosecutions issued through the municipal contravention system. This achievement underscores the municipality’s firm stance against reckless driving and its commitment to protecting all road users.
Improved Road Safety Outcomes
Metro Police responded to four non-fatal accidents during the festive period. While four fatal accidents were tragically recorded — two involving pedestrians — this marks a notable improvement from the previous festive season, which saw seven fatalities. The reduction highlights the positive impact of intensified speed enforcement, roadblocks and public-awareness efforts.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive, Babalwa Lobishe has commended the committed officers and officials for a job well done. “Although we are far from where we want to be, we are beginning to see signs of improvement in terms of coordination of safety efforts in all fronts, which has clearly resulted in the numbers we see. On behalf of the people of the Metro, I would like to express my appreciation at the good work that has been done, ” said Executive Mayor Lobishe.
However the Executive Mayor expressed her concern with the numbers of speeding drivers within the Metro.”This is not the statistics or numbers that we celebrate. It clearly shows that we have a problem with speed on our roads, we call upon drivers to drive within the legal accepted speed and save lives,” added Executive Mayor Lobishe.
Coordinated Festive-Season Operations
These results were achieved through strong collaboration between the Municipality’s Safety and Security Directorate, the South African Police Service (SAPS), and other provincial and national law-enforcement agencies. Throughout the festive season, law-enforcement teams maintained visible policing and targeted enforcement across Nelson Mandela Bay.
A total of 37 major joint operations were conducted, supported by 103 roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints, focusing on:
- Speed and traffic enforcement
- Stop-and-search operations
- Tavern compliance inspections
- Crime-prevention and suspect-raiding operations
- Arrests and Enforcement Results
During the festive season, law-enforcement officers made 130 arrests for various offences:
- 107 arrests for drunk driving, with the highest recorded breath-alcohol level measuring 1.38 mg/ml in the Summerstrand area
- 23 additional arrests for offences including drug-related crimes, cable theft (seven cases), motor-vehicle theft, and reckless or negligent driving
- Significant quantities of illegal drugs, fireworks, alcohol and stolen municipal cable were also confiscated, removing dangerous and unlawful items from public spaces.
By-Law Enforcement and Vehicle Impoundments
As part of municipal by-law enforcement, 162 fines were issued for public drinking and other offences, while 90 drunk-in-charge (DIC) cases were recorded. In December 2025 alone, 37 vehicles were impounded for various violations.
Commitment to Safer Roads and Communities
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality remains committed to ensuring a safe, welcoming and well-managed city for residents, tourists and holidaymakers. The festive-season results demonstrate that consistent speed enforcement, coordinated operations and community cooperation save lives and make a real difference on the ground.
