POLOKWANE – An eyewitness has described the sequence of events that led to the death of six people in a multi-vehicle collision last Tuesday on the Matlala Road near Westenburg and the extensions area, close to the offramp to Seshego and Polokwane.

The incident involved a compact SUV, an NP200 bakkie, two minibus taxis, and two taxis from Moletji and Mashashane. Four men and two women died at the scene.

David Sethole, who was driving a branded NP200 bakkie behind several vehicles heading out of the central business district towards Matlala, described the crash: “A minibus taxi coming from the opposite direction attempted to overtake. The first two small vehicles avoided it, but it hit a third vehicle – a second minibus – in the middle, causing it to flip and veer to the side. That’s when the SUV was struck by the veering minibus.”

Sethole said his own vehicle was scratched in the collision, but he survived unharmed. Traffic and health authorities, including the Department of Transport and Community Safety and Polokwane Emergency Services, arrived on the scene, closing the road for roughly six hours from 15:00 to 20:00. A helicopter was also dispatched to assist with the casualties.

Departmental spokesperson Matome Taueatswala said preliminary investigations suggest that reckless driving played a key role.

Officials believe one of the minibus taxis was overtaking in a prohibited section of the road. The MEC for Transport, Violet Mathye, visited the scene and urged drivers to exercise caution, warning that reckless driving can have deadly consequences.