A Data-Driven Push to Secure the Capital’s Summer

The mood in Tshwane House was one of determined preparation. With the festive season’s twin peakscelebratory crowds and volatile summer stormson the horizon, the City of Tshwane has laid out a stark, numbers-driven blueprint for public safety. In the first of a new series of quarterly briefings, Mayor Nasiphi Moya stood alongside metro police and emergency chiefs to announce: the capital is buckling down.

“Public safety is essential to the city’s social and economic well-being,” Moya stated, framing security not just as a civic duty, but as an economic cornerstone. “When residents feel protected… the entire metro becomes more stable and competitive.”

The Road Safety Blitz: Aarto Notices and Drunk Driving Arrests

The core of the strategy rests on a visible, aggressive metro police presence. Commissioner Yolande Faro delivered the figures from a five-month blitz (June-October), painting a picture of a relentless traffic enforcement campaign:

• 438 road policing operations across seven regions.

• A staggering 105,937 Aarto infringement notices (Aarto 01) issued.

• 88,047 Aarto 31 notices (summonses) processed.

• 215,657 speeding fines.

• 819 motorists arrested for drunk driving, with hotspots in Regions 1 (including Soshanguve and Mabopane), 4 (Centurion), and 6 (Mamelodi).

• 732 pedestrians nabbed for being a source of danger.

The message is clear: the much-debated AARTO demerit system may be rolling out nationally, but in Tshwane, the fines are already flowing in volume.

Beyond Traffic: Bylaws, Cable Theft, and Fire Readiness

The plan extends beyond the roads. Faro highlighted 359 bylaw enforcement operations, with a specific focus on the crippling issue of cable theft, particularly plaguing Pretoria North. A further 326 targeted crime prevention operations were conducted citywide.

With the dry, hot season amplifying fire risks, Chief of Emergency Services Moshema Mosia outlined their readiness. Between June and October, EMS responded to 3,234 incidents. The breakdown is a seasonal warning: 508 fire-related calls, including 156 structural and transport fires, and a massive 2,124 grass and rubbish firesthe kind that can quickly spiral out of control in summer winds.

A Foundation of “Stability and Competitiveness”

Mayor Moya acknowledged the deep-seated challenges her administration inherited, citing “rising serious crime,” vandalism of infrastructure, and “overstretched law enforcement.” This data release, she argued, is part of building transparency and demonstrating progress.

For residents, the briefing serves as both a warning and a reassurance. The roadblocks and speed traps will be ubiquitous. The crackdown on drunk driving will be severe. And the emergency services are on high alert for flames and storms.

As holiday travel begins, Tshwane’s strategy is one of overwhelming enforcement visibility. The city is betting that a flood of fines, arrests, and patrols will be the recipe for a safer, more orderly festive seasonwhere safety, as the mayor insists, becomes the foundation for trade, tourism, and a happier new year.