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 roadsidescreening, 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 evidencecollection 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 concentrationof 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 processingand 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 areimportant 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 RicardAfrica, 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.