Inkosi Mhlabunzima Maphumulo House: Around 16h19 this afternoon, we were informed by the Traffic Ambassador Ayanda Msweli about a horrific accident involving a truck in OPhongolo, N2.
We send our deepest condolences to the families of the three victims who perished when the truck collided with a light motor vehicle.
Two other people were seriously injured.
Our highly efficient and dedicated team from the Road Traffic Inspectorate is working with emergency rescue services, traffic officers from local municipality and other agencies.
We are requesting motorists to exercise extra caution, as one lane is currently closed. The recovery process is still underway.
RTI has handed over the matter to the SAPS for a formal investigation. We will be guided by the investigation in terms of understanding what could have caused this accident
On Wednesday we started a major operation involving monitoring truck activities in weighbridges across the province.
We arrested 10 undocumented foreign nationals, including three truck drivers with no Professional Driving Permits and other relevant documents.
As we stated, over the past months, we recorded an increase in the number of fatalities and severe injuries associated with horrific accidents involving trucks.
We have resolved to sustain our operations at more than 17 weighbridges across all corners, including the N2 and N3.
The most vehicles weighed at a single weighbridge were 40 441 vehicles at the Midway weighbridge, with an average of 3 370 vehicles weighed per month.
This is 33% lower than the highest monthly average of 5,027 vehicles weighed in 2023/24 which was recorded at the Mpofana weighbridge.
The lowest number of vehicles weighed was 433 vehicles at the Gingindlovu weighbridge, representing an average of 36 vehicles per month.
This is 84% lower than the lowest monthly average recorded at the Gingindlovu weighbridge in 2023/24.
In particular, as indicated on Wednesday, over the past months, 207 891.00 vehicles were weighed at the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport’s weighbridges, of which 48 973 (23.6%) were overloaded and 5 842 (2.8%) chargeable.
Finally, we are in touch with the Minister of Transport Barbra Creecy.
Following the announcement that six new train operating companies (TOCs) will soon start transporting coal and chrome along the North Corridor, we are hopeful that in the not too distant future, millions of tons of freight will shift from trucks to rail.
Trucks have destroyed families—created orphans and widows, and left many people living with disability.
Issued by the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements
