POLOKWANE – At least 42 people lost their lives in 11 fatal accidents in Limpopo since Friday.
Minister @MbalulaFikile together with the MEC for Transport and Community Safety in Limpopo inspected a parade of traffic officers ahead of Minister's visit to #Maphalle24 pic.twitter.com/UpCx5IFiFJ
— Limpopo Department of Transport & Community Safety (@TransportLimCom) June 18, 2019
Ministry of Transport flanked by MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Dickson Namane Masemola conveyed his condolences to all families who lost loved ones over the past weekend and called for more traffic officers to be on the roads 24-hours a day.
“We have 22 000 officers on the ground and we need to look at regulating the hours worked by our traffic officers. Most accidents happen after officers knock off at 22:00, therefore as the department we will look into improving the working conditions of every officer to ensure that there are more traffic officers on the road 24-hours a day.”
“We need to increase traffic officers on the road and improve their employment conditions and ensure they operate 24 hours #Maphalle24 @MbalulaFikile @AyandaAllieP @TransportLimCom @EsethuOnDuty @RAF_SA pic.twitter.com/eZMQA1oOmr pic.twitter.com/4wxJv8t44N
— Limpopo Department of Transport & Community Safety (@TransportLimCom) June 18, 2019
During his address Minister Mbalula also urged road users to not blame the traffic officers but to take responsibility for their actions. “The Department of Transport and the traffic officers alone cannot win this war. For us to win the war of road fatalities and carnage on our roads starts with us. To ensure that the cars we drive are roadworthy and that those who are driving us are abiding by the road rules,” he explained.
He added that road users cannot go on with lawlessness and further called for harsher consequences for those who undermining these law and put the lives of others at risk.
This comes after two people were killed and around 80 others were injured in a collision involving a bus, a bakkie and an SUV on the R71 between Letsitele and Gravelotte on Saturday.
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On Sunday 24 people died after a bus and an overloaded minibus taxi collided head-on along the R81 near Maphalle village, Mopani district and earlier the same day, six people burnt to death after two vehicles collided and burst into flames near Dingamazi village.
As part of Mbalulu’s visit to the province he will also inspect a roadblock on the N1 and visit the injured in hospital.
