Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma extended his condolences on Sunday to the families of the 17 people who died in the bus accident near Cradock in the Eastern Cape.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their loved ones in this tragedy. We also wish those injured a speedy recovery so that they can reunite with their families at home,” Zuma said in a statement.
A school principal and at least two school children were among the 17 killed when a bus and minibus collided on the R61 between Cradock and Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape on Saturday. Fourteen others were seriously injured.
Zuma said the numbers of deaths on South African roads was unacceptable.
“Even the death of one South African on our roads is unacceptable and painful, even more so these numbers of our people including children that we now appear to lose each week.
“The law enforcement agencies must therefore conduct necessary investigations and ensure that negligence on anyone's part is punished to the full extent of the law.”
The Inkatha Freedom Party on Sunday said South Africa's roads were killing fields which consumed young and old.
IFP spokesperson Joshua Mazibuko said the accidents like the Cradock bus accident demonstrated that government's “glamorous awareness campaigns” did not achieve the intended objective.
“This was partly due to the fact that some South African drivers and transport providers have lost all sense of Ubuntu and therefore do not care about being law-abiding.”
He said it was time for the government to focus on ensuring that there were many visible police on our roads and that the law was developed with sharp teeth against any law-breaker.
“Otherwise, South Africa may as well resign herself to being the theatre of road carnage.” - Sapa