16 people die on Lim roads in 1 week

NINE people died and four people were seriously injured when the minibus taxi they were travelling in collided head-on with a bakkie on the R579 Mamone road at Jane Furse on Saturday afternoon.

Six people died on the scene, a seventh person died on the way to the Lebowakgomo Hospital, and two others died after they arrived at the hospital.

Transport, safety and liaison spokesperson, Jimmy Machaka, said a preliminary report showed that the driver of the bakkie was allegedly speeding while overtaking on a barrier line.

He said one of the people who died was the driver of the bakkie.

“The involvement of taxis in accidents is a problem in Limpopo,” Machaka said.

He further said it had taken several hours for the police and other emergency services to clear the road of the wreckage.

This is just one of several fatal accidents that occurred on the province’s roads over the past week.

In another accident that happened on Sunday afternoon, a bakkie collided head-on with a heavy truck on the N1 between Makhado and the Capricorn toll gate, leaving two people dead.

The truck dragged the flattened bakkie for more than 100 metres before coming to a standstill, Machaka said.

Also over the weekend, on the road between Polokwane and Lebowakgomo, a vehicle lost control and overturned leaving three people dead.

“On Friday morning on the corner Dorp and Marshall Street in Polokwane, a collision occurred between two vehicles, leaving 11 school children injured,” Machaka said.

Early last Wednesday morning, two learners died and eight were injured when the minibus taxi they were travelling to school in, overturned near Vuwani.

According to Machaka, human error was to blame for all these accidents. “We offer our condolences to those who lost their loved ones and wish those in hospital a speedy recovery,” Machaka said.