Pretoria - The number of Easter road fatalities has this year decreased by 48 percent, in comparison to 2018, Transport Minister Bonginkosi Blade Nzimande said on Thursday.
"I am pleased to announce that the number of fatalities decreased by 48 percent from 309 in 2018 to 162 in 2019. This marks a decrease of 147 fatalities. However, government is still concerned even by a single loss of life on our roads. All provinces recorded decreases in the number of fatalities," Nzimande addressed journalists in Pretoria.
The fatalities per province are as follows:
Gauteng - 16 fatalities
KwaZulu-Natal - 37 fatalities
Western Cape - 18 fatalities
Eastern Cape - 22 fatalities
Free State - 4
Mpumalanga - 17
North West - 13
Limpopo - 32
Northern Cape - 3
The preliminary report covers the period 18 to 22 April.
"This year we recorded 128 crashes, which is a 46 percent decrease, as compared to the 238 crashes recorded in 2018," said Nzimande.