Aware.org and JMPD mark four years of partnership against drinking and driving

AWARE.org and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) marked
four years of partnership on 13 October at the Alcohol Evidence Centre (AEC) in
Dube, Soweto. Their work combines enforcement support, public education and
research, including a recent review of 26,578 recorded DUI arrests between January
2023 and December 2025.

The event gave attendees an opportunity to observe roadside screening and
evidential breath alcohol testing (EBAT), tour the AEC and learn how enforcement,
evidence collection and prevention contribute to road safety. Following roadside
screening, motorists suspected of driving under the influence may be referred to the
AEC for evidential breath testing. The centre has a dedicated EBAT testing room, a
holding room and administrative facilities that support testing, documentation and
evidence collection for case management.
The event also included a handover of a signed partnership pledge and road-safety
collateral and equipment to JMPD, supported by AWARE.org members South Africa
Liquor Brand owners Association (SALBA), Pernod Ricard and HEINEKEN
Beverages.

The findings provide insight into recorded enforcement activity and can help inform
operational planning and targeted prevention efforts. In 2025, 85.9% of recorded DUI
arrests occurred between 18:00 and 23:59, highlighting the concentration of
enforcement activity during the evening and late-night period. This finding relates to
recorded arrests and should not be interpreted as a measure of the overall
prevalence of drinking and driving.
Over the four-year partnership, AWARE.org has supported JMPD through
specialised equipment, technical assistance and capacity building. This includes
verification and calibration services and support for data capturers responsible for
processing and managing DUI cases.
Speaking at the event, Acting Deputy Director and Superintendent within the JMPD,
Mike Botolo reflected on the value of the partnership, particularly its contribution to
operational capacity, accountability and collaboration.

“This partnership has shown us that we can achieve more by working with other
stakeholders than through law enforcement alone. The work does not end when a
motorist is stopped. Proper testing, evidence handling, and case management are
important to ensuring that suspected offences can proceed through the criminal
justice system,” he said.
By supporting evidence-led initiatives and behaviour-change programmes,
AWARE.org aims to encourage safer decisions before motorists get behind the
wheel, recognising that enforcement alone cannot address drinking and driving.

This approach is also reflected in the case study, running from June to December
2026. AWARE.org and JMPD are working with other criminal justice stakeholders,
including the South African Police Service and the National Prosecuting Authority, to
examine and strengthen the process from identifying suspected alcohol-related
offences to managing cases through the justice system.
The initiative aims to address procedural gaps, improve coordination between
stakeholders and strengthen accountability in case management and prosecution. Its
intended outcomes include a more coordinated response to suspected DUI offences,
alongside public education and rehabilitation. As the case study is still underway,
these are objectives rather than results already achieved.

For AWARE.org, the partnership reflects a whole-of-society approach to reducing
alcohol-related harm, bringing together government institutions, civil society,
businesses and communities.
“Reducing alcohol-related harm requires shared responsibility. By connecting
enforcement with evidence-led prevention and public education, we can work
towards safer roads and more informed decisions,” said Sola Oke, CEO of Pernod
Ricard Africa, and newly appointed AWARE.org Chairperson.
“Over the past four years, our partnership with JMPD has shown the importance of
connecting enforcement with prevention and education to encourage safer behaviour
and reduce alcohol-related harm,” said Mokebe Thulo, CEO of AWARE.org.