Pretoria – Deputy Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga has lost six relatives, including her eldest son, in a car crash on the N11 outside Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal.
Their vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with another car, whose driver sustained serious injuries and is being treated in hospital.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula sent his “heartfelt condolences”.
Mbalula said the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) would investigate the cause of the crash, and the report would be made available once the investigation had been concluded.
“The tragic loss of a son and his entire family has left us all numb with disbelief and pain. I have reached out to Deputy Minister Chikunga in this hour of sadness and conveyed my heartfelt condolences for her loss,” said Mbalula.
Mbalula said the loss had strengthened the resolve to intensify efforts to arrest the scourge of fatalities on South Africa’s roads.
“One life lost is one life too many. The deputy minister is a staunch champion of road safety and there is no better fitting tribute to the memory of her loved ones than making a telling difference in saving life and limb on our roads,” said Mbalula.
Last month, statistics collated by the Road Traffic Management Corporation showed 8 547 young people, aged between 21 and 34, died on the roads from 2019 to 2021.
The worst affected category comprised people between 30 and 34 years old, with 3 661 of them dying in road accidents in the three-year period.
RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said the “alarming statistics” served as a clarion call to young people to prioritise road safety.
“Factors that contribute to the high number of road fatalities among the youth include persistent risk-taking behaviour such as reluctance to use safety belts, driving at speeds that are too high for circumstances and driving under the influence of alcohol,” Zwane said.
The provinces with the highest number of youth road fatalities are Gauteng with 1 380 deaths, followed by KwaZulu Natal with 1 235 fatalities, Eastern Cape with 1 201 and Limpopo with 1 127. These four provinces account for 57.8% of fatalities among the youth.
IOL