KZN transport MEC to visit relatives of six family members who died in truck crash

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Sipho Hlomuka on Saturday said he would soon visit the Tenza family, who lost six family members in an accident involving a truck and a car near Umzimkhulu.

All six died at the horrific scene on the R56 in southern KwaZulu-Natal on Friday evening.

“On behalf of the provincial government, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to the Tenza family. It is unimaginable how can one family lose so many members in one accident.

“As we are approaching the festive season holidays, we call on all road users to respect traffic regulations. Yesterday, we launched an Intergraded Festive Season, which seeks to promote safety on the road and in communities. 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,” Hlomuka said in a statement.

ALSO READ: Unroadworthy trucks, bad driver behaviour behind N3 accidents

According to Hlomuka’s department, the family members were travelling in a Toyota Avanza from Nokweja to Flagstaff.

“Six occupants in the Avanza, who are all Tenza family members died and one sustained critical injuries and was taken to hospital.

“According to reports, the Toyota Avanza collided head-on with a truck.”

The MEC said he would visit the Tenza family soon.

Local structures and the provincial government were coordinating to provide assistance to the family.

Interventions to curb the scourge of crashes

The province has been marred by fatal road crashes involving trucks, especially along the deadly N3.

Hlomuka had previously said his government was at work to curb the scourge of crashes in hotspot areas. These included construction work on the N3 Peter Brown, in Pietermaritzburg, with the introduction of safety measures, including technology. He said the construction period was shortened from the initial March 2023 deadline to December 2022.

In Phongolo, said the MEC, a satellite Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) station was opened and staffed with personnel and vehicles to improve enforcement.

NOW READ: Six killed in truck crash on KZN’s R56