Kwazulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mr Willies Mchunu, has called on all road users, especially drivers, to be extra vigilant on the road to safeguard people's lives.
Mchunu has issued this call after learning of last night's fatal accident involving three vehicles that claimed six lives on the R66 road, outside Melmoth.
This accident came soon after Friday's afternoon accident involving a minibus taxi, whose driver was under the influence of alcohol that killed 14 people at a SAPPI factory, along the P197 road near uMkhomazi.
Initial Reports by the Department of Transport's Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) unit revealed that a head-on collision occurred on the R66 road at around 20h00 yesterday evening.
It is believed that the accident happened when a Toyota Corolla attempted overtaking two vehicles, VW Polo and a Volvo, on a blind rise. This resulted in a head on collision in which six people were killed on the scene. The injured were taken to KwaMagwaza Hospital.
MEC Mchunu, who had rushed to the scene on Friday, expressed shock at the recent spate of accidents and called on all motorists to exercise extra vigilance on the road.
"It is unacceptable that we are losing so many people simply because some motorists, drivers specifically, are deliberately disrespecting our road traffic rules. These traffic transgressions are costing lives and resources, causing untold pain to families who lose their loved ones. On behalf government, I wish to extend our deepest condolence to the families of the deceased," said Mchunu.
As we are approach the festive season, we will be intensifying law enforcement by increasing traffic police visibility. In the meantime, I have assigned a team of senior officials to meet with the bereaved families of the uMkhomazi accident and another team will be meeting the Melmoth families tomorrow," he added.
