MEC condemns record number of fatalities on Mpumalanga roads over the weekend
The MEC came out strongly against drivers who failed to adhere to the rules of the road.
MBOMBELA – In what has been hailed as an unprecedented high death toll on roads in the province, Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Gabisile Shabalala has come out in strong condemnation of errant drivers.
A record 15 lives were lost in crashes across the province. A number of these which were fatal, occurred on Saturday. At 06:00 on Saturday morning four passengers were killed in a head-on collision on the R546 betweeb Charles Cilliers and Embalenhle. Three people were declared dead on the scene while a fourth person died in hospital.
On the same day at about 18:30, another accident claimed the lives of two drivers on the R545 near Kriel. Three of the passengers sustained serious injuries and were rushed to hospital.
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Yet another head-on collision claimed seven lives on the R555 between Middelburg and Stoffberg. This number included the driver and six passengers in a bakkie. Reports indicate that a trailer hooked up to one of the vehicles, was released and veered into oncoming traffic, causing the driver of the bakkie to lose control of the vehicle and collide with an oncoming truck.
A further two people were killed on the R544 between Kriel and Bethal after a collision with two articulated trucks. According to Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison spokesperson Moeti Mmusi, investigations into the crash are underway.
The Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Gabisile Shabalala has condemned the carnage on our roads and said that a number of this weekend’s crashes could have been avoided and that in most cases, human error was the cause.
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Shabalala said, “Motorists should refrain from behaving dangerously on the road as this endangers their lives and that of other innocent road users. We have pleaded many times with motorists to be patient on the road because but our calls are seemingly unheard. We believe that with a change of attitude by most motorists many lives will not be needlessly lost due to deadly road crashes especially on weekends.”
The MEC added that it was the responsibility of each driver to ensure their safety and those of the people they are transporting. She added that passengers should make their dissent heard when drivers take unnecessary risks while operating a vehicle.
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“Passengers must not keep quiet when their lives are put in danger. We cannot have so many deaths in one day because many families are left devastated.”
She wished a speedy recovery to the injured and sent her condolences to the deceased.
