MOTORISTS found guilty of drink-driving with some of the highest alcohol levels were handed stiffer sentences of up to E5 000 in fines or two years imprisonment at the Manzini Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The sentences come at a time when penalties for drink-driving offences have become the subject of public debate, following a noticeable shift towards lighter punishments in recent months.
The change in sentencing trends is widely linked to a recent High Court ruling by Judge Bongani Dlamini, who overturned a sentence previously imposed on drink-driving offender Daniel Dlamini.
In that matter, the magistrate had sentenced Dlamini to two years imprisonment with a fine option of E5 000, however, the High Court reduced the sentence on appeal to E800 or six months imprisonment.
The ruling was interpreted by many as an indication that previous penalties for drink-driving offences may have been excessively severe.
Since then, courts have generally imposed more lenient sentences, with offenders commonly receiving eight-month prison terms or fines of E800.
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However, yesterday Magistrate Sebenzile Ndlela-Kunene adopted a markedly tougher approach, particularly in cases involving exceptionally high breathalyser readings.
Among those receiving the heaviest penalties was Sithulile Khumalo, whose breath specimen registered 2 milligrams per litre (mg/l) of alcohol.
Sphelele Dlamini also recorded 2 mg/l, while Nomalungelo Sacolo had a reading of 1.24 mg/l and Gcina Simelane 1.88 mg/l.
The four offenders were each sentenced to two years imprisonment with the option of a E5 000 fine.
Meanwhile, Sandile Simelane was the only offender to receive the minimum sentence imposed during the proceedings.
His breathalyser reading was 0.46 mg/l, resulting in a sentence of two years imprisonment with the option of a fine of E3 000.
The remaining offenders convicted of drink-driving were sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with the option of fines ranging between E4 000 and E5 000, depending on the level of alcohol detected in their systems.
