South Africa: Six people killed in road crash in Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape provincial transport department said a crash occurred on the N2 between Dutywa and Mthatha on New Year’s Eve.
Spokesperson Unathi Binqose, said all five passengers in one vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene while one more person in the second vehicle sustained fatal injuries.
The latest crash comes just days after Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga joined the province’s Transport Member of the Executive Council (MEC) in traffic law enforcement operations.
The pair, along with traffic officers, checked the fitness of drivers, reckless and negligent driving, drunk drivers, and the roadworthiness of vehicles on the N2, Mthatha.
The department said more than 4,160 motorists have been arrested for drunken driving, while others have been detained for producing false documents and driving public transport without valid documents.
South Africa has recorded more road fatalities since the start of the festive season.
Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) chief executive Wayne Duvenage said South Africa had the worst statistics regarding fatalities.
“We are in the worst quartile in the world when it comes to road fatalities, and we have been on this for a while now, according to the UN programme,” he said.
“Nothing changes. We have between 12,000 and 14,000 fatalities in a year and it’s also an increase per capita.”
IOL
