KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mr Willies Mchunu, has vowed that the death of 53 people, who were killed over the long weekend, would not deter government’s efforts to reduce the scourge of road fatalities.
Mchunu was commenting after receiving disturbing statistics indicating the province recorded 42 crashes over the weekend, which left 53 people dead.
One major accident that left MEC Mchunu in shock took place on the N2 near Park Rynie on Friday (14 June 2013) where three vehicles collided and caught fire, leaving seven people dead.
In a separate accident on R102 near uMkhomazi, five people were killed in a head-on collision involving two light motor vehicles. Many other accidents were reported in various parts of the province.
Mchunu described the weekend’s accidents as unfortunate following closely after his recent presentation of a report to the KZN Legislature indicating a decrease of 33.6 percent in road fatalities in the province over the past three years.
“I am deeply disappointed that so many people lost their lives on provincial roads. We would like to send our heartfelt condolences as government to the families who have lost their loved ones.”
“We condemn those drivers who disregard the rule of law and who continue to cause unnecessary accidents. I have studied all the reports of these accidents and it is clear to me that all these accidents could have been avoided. I have ordered law enforcement agencies to be tough on all those who are transgressing on the road. These accidents are costing government millions of Rands which could be spent on service delivery.”
“We have declared this year as a year of Accelerating Activism Against Road Carnages, therefore I urge all road users to respect traffic rules and advance the road safety agenda. Safety on the road is everyone’s responsibility,” said Mchunu.
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