Eastern Cape Transport and Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha. Picture: Gallo Images/Lulama Zenzile
Road fatalities remain a pressing issue in the Eastern Cape, with eight individuals recently arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
The province has faced a significant rise in road fatalities since the start of the festive season on 1 December.
The latest tragedy occurred on Monday night on the R61 between Komani and Tarkastad.
The crash involved a Mercedes-Benz sedan colliding with a truck, claiming the lives of four people.
This incident came just hours after a mother and her three children lost their lives in a collision on the N2 near Qumbu.
Eastern Cape Transport and Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha expressed deep concern over the rising number of road fatalities.
“Many of those are accidents that could have been avoided, in fact, as they are a result of reckless driving, people speeding on our roads… disregarding the rules of the road, and it is a concerning matter,” he told SABC News.
Nqatha highlighted drunk driving as another major issue, noting that eight people were arrested for this offence on Tuesday alone.
“We will intensify our operations. Obviously, the weather conditions are impacting negatively on our work because we can’t hold roadblocks.
“We have got to increase visibility [as] it is in these very roadblocks where we are able to test and apprehend people who are driving under the influence of alcohol.”
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He emphasised the importance of the 24 hours to Christmas Day, with many motorists expected to travel.
While the province had successfully reduced road fatalities last year, the MEC indicated that there was growing concern that this progress may regress during the current festive season
Nqatha also addressed crime levels in the province.
“There are various incidents that have been reported, but there are successes that have been recorded, where arrests have been made of wanted criminals in the Gqeberha area – including getting hold of a firearm which might possibly be linked to some of the incidents. Mass murders have been taking place in that area.”
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane shared his distress over the rising road fatalities, with over 90 lives lost in the province.
Mabuyane urged all road users to exercise caution.
“We are witnessing a devastating trend that is claiming the lives of our loved ones, and it is our collective responsibility to act swiftly to prevent further loss of life.
“I urge all road users to be extremely cautious and vigilant on the roads, as well as adhere to traffic laws to prevent more deaths,” he said.
READ MORE: Several dead in head-on crash involving minibus taxi in Eastern Cape
The premier stressed the need for collective action to halt the loss of lives.
“I am deeply disturbed and saddened by the alarming rise in road accident fatalities in our province. The lives lost are not just statistics, but people who leave behind grieving families.
“It is our shared responsibility to ensure that we do everything in our power to prevent such tragedies from occurring,” Mabuyane added.
Over the weekend, 11 people died in a head-on collision between a bakkie and a minibus taxi on the N2 outside Dutywa.
Three others sustained serious injuries in the crash.
This incident adds to the grim tally of lives lost on Eastern Cape roads during the festive season.
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