Durban - KwaZulu-Natal Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Bheki Ntuli has expressed sadness at the continued loss of life following the death of eight people on the N11 Model Kloof near Ladysmith on Saturday night.
"Preliminary reports reveal that a Porsche with no number plates was allegedly speeding when it became involved in a head-on collision with a Toyota Fortuner at around [10pm]," Ntuli said in a statement on Sunday.
The Porsche caught alight and four people travelling in it were burned beyond recognition. In addition, four other people, two adults and two children, travelling in the Toyota Fortuner also died on the scene.
Traffic officials were working to find out who the owner of the Porsche was. As the car had no registration, they could not identify the deceased. A Zimbabwean identity document was found in the Toyota Fortuner, which would assist traffic officials identify the deceased.
Picture: Claudine Senekal/Ladysmith Herald
Ntuli extended condolences to the families of the deceased and pledged the support of the department. It was worrying that there continued to be huge road fatalities, particularly over weekends.
"I'm deeply saddened at the continued loss of lives, particularly as we just laid to rest six people who died in another accident last week in Peacevale. What is most worrying is that it seems as though our motorists are not adhering to our road rules and speed limits, which in the main is leading to these accidents.
"I will be meeting with RTI officials to see how we can increase our visibility, particularly in the hotspots over the weekend. We will also continue using our October Transport Month programmes to preach road safety in all our communities," said Ntuli.