Acting MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Kwazi Mshengu calls on motorists to be extra vigilant and heightened law enforcement after five people were killed in a horrific crash
Acting KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mr Kwazi Mshengu calls on Law Enforcement Authorities to step up their enforcement operations and for motorists to exercise extra caution on public roads to prevent further carnages.
This comes after five people were killed in a horrific head-on collision between a minibus taxi and an articulated truck in Newcastle yesterday. Four people died instantly at the scene of the crash while the fifth victim who had sustained serious injuries died later in hospital.
MEC Mshengu has welcomed the prompt commencement of investigations by the South African Police Service and Road Traffic Management Corporation. The cause of the collision is unknown at this stage, but police are investigating a case of culpable homicide.
MEC Mshengu said investigations into the cause of the crash will focus on the roadworthiness of all vehicles involved, the weather condition at the time of the accident, and other causal factors.
”It is crucial for the police and accident reconstruction experts to analyse the complexities that might have caused the fatal crash that claimed the lives of five people. This is not only for the sake of bringing closure to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones, but it is also to ensure that we find ways to prevent similar carnage in the future and save lives. I wish to express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this horrific accident,” said MEC Mshengu.
MEC Mshengu reiterated that ensuring safety on roads in KwaZulu-Natal is a shared responsibility and called on motorists to obey the speed limits and be extra vigilant when driving, especially since we are experiencing heavy rains in some parts of the province.
The Department of Transport together with the Road Accident Fund will assist the bereaved families with the necessary burial arrangements and the Department of Social Development will be contacted to provide psychological support to the affected families.
