Durban - Two women were killed and three people were injured when Premier Senzo Mchunu’s bodyguards lost control of their vehicle at about 8pm on Friday on the N2 near KwaDukuza.
Nonto Ximba and teacher Buhi Hadebe and three others were travelling to Durban in a Toyota Yaris when the collision with the “blue light” Ford Ranger occurred.
Ximba and Hadebe’s families were too traumatised by their deaths to speak to the media yesterday. The other three landed in hospital.
The bodyguards, part of Mchunu’s VIP security unit, were slightly injured. Their names have not been released.
Spokesman Ndabezinhle Sibiya said the men were on their way to Mchunu’s house to prepare for the next shift. He said the premier was at home at the time of the accident.
But a source close to the investigation who did not want to be named said Mchunu was travelling ahead of the Ranger and the bodyguards allegedly overtook the vehicle in front of them to catch up with him but crashed into the Yaris.
“The premier was on the road. He turned around, came to the scene and left.”
Sibiya denied this. He said a truck hit the Ranger and the driver fled.
The Road Traffic Inspectorate said only two vehicles were involved.
Sibiya said an investigation was under way to ascertain the circumstances of the crash.
“There are many unanswered questions and confusing reports of separate accidents on this route. My special adviser on good governance, advocate Linda Zama, will liaise with law enforcement agencies such as the SAPS and Road Traffic Inspectorate to speed up an investigation.
“We hope police will find the truck driver who is believed to have been the main cause of the accident. An investigation will ascertain how many people were involved and whether there were eyewitnesses who could enlighten us. We also want to establish circumstances surrounding the death of the two passengers in the Yaris,” said Mchunu.
In 2012, SABC journalist Tim Ncube and a VIP protection officer were killed in a head-on collision on the N2 near Mtubatuba with a blue light vehicle that was part of a fleet taking King Goodwill Zwelithini to Richards Bay.
Sunday Tribune