Seven drunk drivers held at opening of season

IT seems some revellers enjoyed the opening of the summer season a little bit too much in Port Elizabeth on Friday, with police arresting seven people for drunk driving.

The skies over Port Elizabeth’s beachfront were lit up as tens of thousands of revellers celebrated the opening at Humewood beach.

But the Metro Police and South African Police Service were there to clamp down on public drunkenness and drunken driving.

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s portfolio head of safety and security, John Best, said seven people were arrested for drunken driving on Friday along the beachfront.

Three people were arrested by the Metro Police and the other four by the police.

Despite the arrests, event organiser Darren Mungur, of Soul Good Company, said the opening of the season was a success.

“The people who came for the event were better behaved than in previous years,” he said.

Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip was also happy with the opening.

“The opening was exceptionally well organised and the fireworks display was fantastic. The crowd was real good and well behaved,” he said.

Police spokeswoman Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said eight more people were arrested for drunk driving in different parts of Nelson Mandela Bay during the weekend.