Ehlanzeni southern region records the highest road carnage during 2024/25 festive season
Mpumalanga recorded the same number of fatal crashes of 118 for both 2023 and 2024.

The Ehlanzeni southern region recorded 66 road fatalities over the 42-day period of the 2024/25 festive season.
This region ranked the highest, followed by Nkangala region with a total of 30 fatalities, while Gert Sibande claimed 12 fatalities and Ehlanzeni northern region recording the lowest number of two fatalities.
These statistics were released by the Mpumalanga MEC for community safety, security and liaison, Jackie Macie, on Tuesday at the Protea Hotel Nelspruit on January 21.

The 2024/25 Festive Season Road Safety Plan covered the period from December 1, 2024 to January 11.
“The highest number of road users who perished on our roads were pedestrians, who accounted for 35% of all fatalities, followed by passengers at 32%, drivers accounted for 29%, cyclists at 2%, while the road user status of 2% could not be determined. The highest number of fatalities occurred on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays,” Macie said.
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The province recorded the same number of fatal crashes of 118 for both 2023 and 2024, however, saw a reduction of fatalities from 158 in 2023 to 143 in 2024.
“Our analysis points to human factors as a principal driver of fatalities on our roads, followed by road, environmental and vehicle factors,” Macie said.
The Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison along with other law enforcers embarked on a Festive Season Road Safety Campaign at the beginning of the festive season.
Central to the plan was the deployment of traffic law enforcement resources on certain areas on a 24/7 basis to curb lawlessness, improve compliance with road regulations to prevent and reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities. The department deployed a total of 748 law enforcement officials who worked a total of 4 760 hours with 317 vehicles to enhance visibility, and also to respond to possibilities of lawbreakers. Seven K78 roadblocks, 12 drunken and driving operations and 415 speed operations were executed.”
The majority of these operations were conducted on routes identified as critical, and hotspots because of their intensity of traffic volumes and contribution to crashes such as the N4, R40, R573, R38, R23, R544, R555, N17, R538, N2, N11 and the N12.
Throughout these operations, 150 166 vehicles were stopped, 966 vehicles were impounded for various reasons ranging from displaying invalid or fake discs and operating in violation of permits, while 175 drivers were arrested for drunken driving, reckless and negligent driving, operating public transport without permit and excessive speeding.
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A total of 25 994 notices were issued, 440 vehicles were discontinued because of road unworthiness-related issues, while 52 817 vehicles were processed through various weighbridges.
Macie said the political unrest and violent protests in Mozambique imposed huge burden on the operation of the Lebombo Border Post. As a result, the operations of the border were halted sometimes without prior notice. Management of traffic on the N4 due to the closure of the border stretched the department’s resources.
After the presentation, Macie handed over 34 traffic law enforcement vehicles to Ehlanzeni, Gert Sibande and Nkangala district municipalities.
34 new traffic law enforcement vehicles distributed to the different regional offices in Mpumalanga https://t.co/p4nnC23GDB #ArriveAlive @MpumalangaGov pic.twitter.com/GpxEsiK1Ra
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) January 21, 2025