KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mr Willies Mchunu has express his deepest shock at the death of six people who died in a gruesome accident in Melmoth.
Preliminary reports reveal that yesterday, 16 April 2013 at about 18h00 on the R66 a Mercedes collided head-on with a bakkie. It is alleged that the Mercedes was trying to overtake when it collided with the other vehicle.
All five occupants from the Mercedes died on the scene and one from the bakkie. One person from the bakkie sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the nearest hospital. Mchunu has assembled a high level team to initiate an investigation into the cause of the horrific crash.
Mchunu expressed his disappointed that innocent people continue to lose their lives on provincial roads and vowed to intensify traffic police deployment to be more visible in all corners of the province and to ensure maximum compliance with traffic rules.
“It is traumatic to learn that six people have died in such a horrific accident. I have tasked a team from the law enforcement unit to investigate thoroughly what happened leading to this accident. Our view is that even this accident could have been avoided but through negligence of one driver, six lives have been lost.
Considering that we are coming from a grim Easter Holiday, collective efforts are needed to end the scourge or road accidents. This however will not deter us as a department to press on with our road safety campaigns. I would like to send my condolences to the families of the people who lost their loved ones and also those who are in hospital a speedy recovery,” said Mchunu.
Media contact:
Kwanele Ncalane
Cell: 072 803 1462 or 079 699 5755
