Byline: Nonjabuliso Nhlambo
23 December 2023
Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Mr. Vusi Shongwe is appealing for cautious driving amid rising fatal crashes in the province.
Nine people were killed in two separate crashes this Saturday morning, 23 December 2023.
The first crash happened when a sedan and sport utility vehicle (SUV) collided head-on on the N4 toll road near Vosman.
The deceased includes both drivers and one passenger. The SUV had two occupants, a male and a female. The victims were certified dead at the scene.
In another crash, six people were killed at the scene when the mini-bus they were traveling in overturned on R38 Road between Barberton and Manzana earlier today morning.
It is suspected that the driver may have lost control of the minibus, and as a result, it overturned and rolled several times down the mountain.
Six people sustained serious injuries to slight and they were transported to the nearby Barberton Hospital, meanwhile six people were declared deceased at the scene of the incident.
The minibus was pulling a trailer at the time of the crash. The minibus was errying people from Johannesburg to Mozambique.
The two crashes are being investigated.The MEC is calling on motorists to be calmer and also avoid excessive speeding.Shongwe said those who are travelling long distances must rest sufficiently because fatigue kills.
“We have noted most deadly crashes occur at night and during the early morning hours. Some of these crashes, we believe, are attributable to fatigue.
Therefore, motorists must rest sufficiently along the way when undertaking long journeys,” says Shongwe. He is also extending his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and the injured a speedy recovery.
