The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Nomusa Dube-Ncube, on behalf of the Provincial Government, sends condolences to the families of seven people who died in a horrific road crash in Durban last night.
According to the Provincial Department of Transport, a truck collided with multiple vehicles on R35 outside Isipingo in Durban, leaving seven people dead and dozens injured. It is alleged that the truck collided with three light motor vehicles.
Premier Dube-Ncube has welcomed the prompt commencement of investigations into the cause of the accident led by the South African Police Service.
“It is unacceptable that we have had multiple truck accidents in such a short space of time that continue to claim many lives. We remember vividly the horrific truck accident in Phongola that claimed the lives of 21 people. Last weekend the Tenza family lost six family members in an accident involving a truck on the R56 near Umzimkhulu. This morning we woke up to sad news that another fatal truck crash claimed seven lives on R35 outside Isipingo in Durban. On behalf of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, we send our sincere condolences to the families of the people who were killed in this latest accident and we commit to working tirelessly to end road carnage,” said Premier Dube-Ncube.
The Premier also said that the province, through the Department of Transport, is investigating practical interventions to address the spate of truck accidents.
“It is alarming that in October 2022 alone, more than 55 truck accidents were reported in the province. It is for this reason that we are exploring various ways to put an end to road carnage involving trucks, this may include enforcing a curfew on freight trucks and redirecting vehicles to less busy roads. We are also engaging with the freight and logistics industry because our roads cannot be turned into mass grave sites and places of untimely deaths. We recently launched an Integrated Safety Month and Festive Season Campaign, which seeks to promote safety on the road and in communities. There will be heightened visibility in all corners of our province including integrated crime prevention and crime combatting operations on roads, communities, ports of entry and the border line. The success of this plan is dependent on the proactive work by law enforcement to reduce road crashes and levels of crime in our communities,” concluded Premier Dube-Ncube.
The Premier reiterated that ensuring safety on roads in KwaZulu-Natal is a shared responsibility and called on motorists to obey the speed limits and be extra vigilant when driving, especially since we are experiencing heavy rains in some parts of the province.
Ends
Issued by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government on behalf of Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube