A senior provincial officer appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Monday last week, facing charges of drunken driving.

According to a police report, Sr Supt Abel Mushiana (45), who is based at the provincial office of the SAPS in Limpopo, was allegedly arrested on Sunday, May 4, at about 20:30 along the Louis Trichardt-Thohoyandou road next to Tshilidzini Hospital.

It is alleged that he was driving from east to west when he stopped at the traffic light next to Tshilidzini hospital, waiting for the traffic lights to give him a the right of way. However, when they turned green, he did not proceed and that attracted the attention of the road users, who phoned the police on duty.

It is further alleged that when the police arrived, they found Mushiana intoxicated and sleeping with an empty can of beer placed on the dashboard of his vehicle. He was taken to the hospital for his blood to be tested, but upon arrival there, he refused.

According to the spokesman for the Thohoyandou police, Capt Mashudu Malelo, the charges of drunken driving, obstructing of other road users, defeating the ends of justice and reckless or negligent driving, had been opened.

Malelo said that Musiana was released on his own recognizance and the case was postponed to June 12.