Durban – KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has ended transport month with a wreath-laying on Wednesday, at the site where seven maidens died in a horrific minibus taxi accident in August.
He also warned motorists to obey the rules of the road or face the consequences.
“We are not going to tolerate any element of misbehaviour on our roads,” said Zikalala on Wednesday.
The maidens were returning from uMhlanga where they had attended a festival leading up to the annual read dance when the taxi they were travelling in overturned in Pomeroy, in the Greytown area, and caught alight.
Six young women were burnt to death at the scene and a seventh died in hospital of her injuries. Several other young women in the taxi were hospitalised.
Zikalala and KZN member of the executive council (MEC) for Transport Bheki Ntuli also conducted roadblocks along the R34 and R66 as part of Operation Sukuma Sakhe, which is KwaZulu-Natal’s holistic response to governance, linking initiatives through various spheres and encouraging social mobilisation to better the lives of citizens.
Zikalala said that as transport month ended, the province and country were entering the festive season, a time of numerous road accidents accompanied by an unacceptably high death toll.
“Drivers must drive in a manner that is expected – no one must drive under the influence of alcohol, no one must drive while using cellphones, no one must drive while they are tired. We encourage drivers to rest every two hours,” said Zikalala.
He also warned against overloading passengers or cargo and said road users needed to be responsible for their actions.
Zikalala also sent his condolences to those who had lost loved ones on the roads.
He said MECs would be conducting roadblock campaigns throughout the province, but the police would be out in full force enforcing laws at all times.
As part of the campaign he attended on Wednesday, 47 cars had been stopped, said Zikalala.
Two cars had been found to be using “blue lights” illegally, he said, while one motorist was driving without the “proper licence”. Other drivers were issued with fines for various offences.
South Africa saw an increase in its road death toll over the 2018/2019 festive season, with 1612 fatalities taking place via 1286 road accidents.
KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of road accidents and deaths - 328 fatalities via 267 accidents - in the same period.