Johannesburg - A man died and four others, including the driver, suffered critical injuries when their car smashed into cattle on the R503 road near Rooigrond, the North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management said.
The Honda Ballade was traveling towards Mahikeng from the Lichtenburg direction when the crash occurred on Monday night. The injured were taken to the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital. Commenting after the tragedy, Bokone Bophirima Community Safety and Transport Management MEC Dr Mpho Motlhabane warned: “Livestock owners must know that allowing their animals to stray onto the roads is a by-law transgression, apart from the fact that it poses a major threat to the safety of road users”.
Bophirima said the provincial government had in the past installed fences to keep animals away from the road, but the fences were torn down. As a result cattle, horses and donkeys often stray onto the road posing a danger to motorists.
As part of efforts to tackle the matter, Bophirima said the province was putting in place preventative measures that include providing owners of animals with “retro-reflective belts and earrings” to make livestock visible, especially at night.
The MEC said he sent his “heartfelt condolences” to the family of the dead man and wished a speedy recovery to the critically injured.
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