An eyewitness has described the sequence of events that led to the death of six people in a multi-vehicle collision last week Tuesday on the Matlala Road near Westenburg in Limpopo.

The incident involved a compact Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), an NP200 bakkie, two minibus taxis, and two taxis from Moletji and Mashashane. Four men and two women died at the scene, reports Review Online.

David Sethole, who was driving a branded NP200 bakkie behind several vehicles heading out of the central business district towards Matlala, described the crash.

“A minibus taxi coming from the opposite direction attempted to overtake. The first two small vehicles avoided it, but it hit a third vehicle – a second minibus – in the middle, causing it to flip and veer to the side. That’s when the SUV was struck by the minibus.”

Sethole says his own vehicle was scratched in the collision, but he survived unharmed. Traffic and health authorities, including the Department of Transport and Community Safety and Polokwane Emergency Services, arrived on the scene, closing the road for roughly six hours. A helicopter was also dispatched to assist with the casualties. Matome Taueatswala

Department of Transport and Community Safety spokesperson Matome Taueatswala says preliminary investigations suggest that reckless driving played a key role.

Officials believe one of the minibus taxis was overtaking in a prohibited section of the road. The MEC for Transport, Violet Mathye, visited the scene and urged drivers to exercise caution, warning that reckless driving can have deadly consequences.

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