JMPD Arrests Drunk Taxi Driver Operating an Overloaded Vehicle in TikTok Video, SA Unimpressed

• The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) arrested a taxi driver for driving under the influence of alcohol
• A video of the arrest went viral, and it shows that the driver was drinking while driving
• South Africans in the comment section condemned the driver’s actions and applauded the diligence of the JMPD officers in effecting the arrest

Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, covered a range of criminal activities, including cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, taxi violence, shootings, police investigations, police shootouts, and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG — Members of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) were applauded for arresting a taxi driver who was operating an overloaded vehicle while under the influence of alcohol on 14 February 2026. Arrive Alive CEO Advocate Johan Jonck condemned the driver’s actions.

Live News SA posted a video of the JMPD officers making the arrest on Valentine’s Day on its @live.news.sa TikTok account. Members of the JMPD surround the vehicle. One of the officers whistles incredulously as a female officer holds up a bottle of beer. She notes that there are more passengers than the taxi can carry.

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JMPD officer scolds passengers

The female JMPD officer then addresses the passengers. She asks them why they boarded the taxi of a driver who was drinking. She also questions the passenger who was seated next to the driver, who denies seeing the bottle despite sitting next to the driver. The officer also interrogates the driver, who denies that he was drinking or that the bottle of alcohol belonged to him. The officer informs him that he was over the limit. The driver tries to explain that he was drinking during the day before he got on the road.

View the TikTok video here:

Arrive Alive CEO slams driver

Speaking to Briefly News, Advocate Jonck said that it is a scary reality that many innocent lives are placed at risk by irresponsible, reckless, and lawless road users.

“During the festive season, 5% of drivers tested for drunk driving were found to be over the limit. It is scary to think that one in 20 drivers sharing the roads with you may be a drunk driver. We will need to clamp down on these offenders through effective visible traffic enforcement and strict sentencing of those found to be guilty,” he remarked.

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The problem of drinking and driving in SA

The government has previously raised the alarm about drunk driving in the country, especially during the festive season. Traffic officials arrested over 240 motorists for drunk driving in December 2025. About 170 individuals were arrested in Johannesburg, and more than 73 were arrested in the Western Cape.

Transport minister Barbara Creecy called for an end to drinking and driving as she presented the 2025/26 festive season road safety statistics on 15 January 2026. She remarked that speeding and drunk driving remained the major causes of road accidents. Creecy observed that the driving and drinking police was formulated over 30 years ago and needed to be changed.

South Africans happy driver was arrested

TikTok users in the comment section congratulated the officers for arresting the driver.

Born Mosimane said:

“Don’t negotiate. Bopha wena, bopha. Last taxi or not, bopha.”

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Macheckse2u shared a similar experience she had.

“I once got out of a taxi in Roodepoort because the driver was also drunk. People kept shouting at him. I got off at the next stop and waited for another.”

Saccasdream criticised netizens defending the driver’s conduct.

“We’ve normalised reckless behaviour as a nation. The number of comments defending the driver worries me. The sad thing is that if anything goes wrong in such situations, the government will be blamed.”

Gwembeshe TV applauded:

“Good job, police.”

Deo_604 added:

“He must be arrested and his license taken away.”

Government official was arrested for drunk driving

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that a KwaZulu-Natal government official was arrested for drunk driving. He attempted to flee from the officers near Park Rynie on the South Coast in December 2025.

A dramatic high-speed chase ensued between him and traffic officers, and he was caught. The police found an intoxicated man in the vehicle as well as a 17-year-old female.

Source: Briefly News