Matshiding, Mpumalanga - People are “sick and tired” of government promises to improve the Moloto road, KwaNdebele King Sipho Mahlangu said on Friday.
“We want the government to act on the issue immediately because many people are losing their lives on this killer road,” said Mahlangu.
He was speaking at a memorial service for the 30 people killed in an accident on Moloto Road, near Kwaggafontein in Mpumalanga, on Monday night, a Sapa correspondent reported.
A truck drove into the back of a tipper truck, before colliding with a Putco bus and a bakkie. Twenty-nine people died on the scene. One of the eight critically injured died later in hospital. Twenty-two people were injured.
Government has long mooted the creation of the Moloto rail development corridor to make the R573 road between Siyabuswa and Pretoria safer, but the project had yet to get off the ground.
About 2000 people attended the service at the Matshiding showground, including Limpopo premier Stanley Mathabatha, Mpumalanga premier David Mabuza and his community safety MEC Vusi Shongwe.
Mabuza urged the public to stop speculating about the accident and wait for the national transport department to say what its plans for the rail corridor were. He warned politicians not to use the tragedy as part of their election campaigns.
“Politicians must stop speculating about the incident and focus on how to prevent such accidents, as they are caused by human errors,” said Mabuza.
“It is unnecessary for politicians to speculate while the families are still grieving. Culturally we wait for the funeral and, after that, we start speculating about the incident.”
Mabuza said department officials had met a variety of role players and the families to determine how they could be helped.
A mass funeral service would be held on Sunday at the same venue.
Sapa