Fatality reported in service delivery protest in eMalahleni
According to Sanral, the death occurred today, May 12, during service delivery protests in a closed-off section on the N4. TRACN4 has since said the eastbound lane to Mbombela is open.
Sanral announced in a media statement today, May 12, that a fatality had occurred during a service delivery protest earlier on the N4 in eMalahleni.
Enraged community members have been protesting on the N4 between the Balmoral interchange and the N4/N12 split since Tuesday May 9, which remained closed for over two days.
“According to a report by the Middelburg SAPS, an incident occurred in the closed-off area in which a vehicle said to be travelling on the N4 collided with a burnt-out truck, resulting in one fatality. It is alleged that the vehicle had made a U-turn on the N4 to avoid the protesters,” said Sanral.
ALSO READ: Protest action results in closure of major roads in eMalahleni
TRACN4’s spokesperson, Solange Soares, said the protesters are no longer on the scene, and the eastbound carriageway towards Mbombela has been opened to traffic.
“We are still assessing the damage, and once completed, our teams will start clearing the scene. The teams will also continue to do traffic accommodation until the clean-up is completed,” she said.
She added that road users requiring real-time information are urged to follow @TRACN4Route on Twitter or call the TRAC 24-hour toll-free helpdesk in South Africa on 0800 87 22 64 (toll-free) or 082 881 4444, and in Mozambique, on 800 9022.
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Mpumalanga News has requested confirmation of the death from a Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, who has yet to respond.
This is a developing story. Mpumalanga News will keep its readers updated as more information becomes available.
