Five people were seriously injured when a luxury vehicle transporting Deputy Labour Minister Phatekile Holomisa was involved in a collision with a bakkie yesterday.
The accident occurred on the N2 between Dutywa and Butterworth just after 1pm. Holomisa was travelling from his rural town of Mqanduli, in a white Mercedes-Benz SUV, when it collided with a bakkie. Eastern Cape Arrive Alive spokesman Tshepo Machaea said the bakkie was about to turn onto the N2 from a dirt road at Gwadana village, when it collided with the SUV.
Machaea said five people, who were travelling in the bakkie were seriously injured in the crash.
“The victims were all taken to Butterworth hospital for further medical management.”
Police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha said they were investigating a case of reckless and negligent driving. An eyewitness, who declined to be named, said he was travelling behind Holomisa’s SUV and claimed the vehicle was being escorted by an official police vehicle. The SUV and police vehicle had flashing blue lights, the eyewitness said.
“They passed us inside Dutywa CBD in the middle of messy traffic. We opened way for the convoy and about 10 minutes later as we drove out of Dutywa, we saw an accident ahead of us.”
The eyewitness said as they drove past the accident scene, he saw a badly injured man and a woman lying on the roadside. The Daily Dispatch could not establish the condition of the injured at time of writing yesterday.
Holomisa’s spokesman Mzukisi Ndara said Holomisa was travelling to the East London Airport to board a flight to Cape Town with two protection officers.
He said Holomisa was treated at Life St Dominics in East London.
“He was travelling from an official duty in his political constituency which is Mqanduli.”
Holomisa, 56, is a member of parliament who was a former chairman of the joint constitutional review committee.
He is a former president of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa and is chief of the AmaGebe tribe. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Holomisa, five others injured in N2 accident
The accident occurred on the N2 between Dutywa and Butterworth just after 1pm. Holomisa was travelling from his rural town of Mqanduli, in a white Mercedes-Benz SUV, when it collided with a bakkie. Eastern Cape Arrive Alive spokesman Tshepo Machaea said the bakkie was about to turn onto the N2 from a dirt road at Gwadana village, when it collided with the SUV.
Machaea said five people, who were travelling in the bakkie were seriously injured in the crash.
“The victims were all taken to Butterworth hospital for further medical management.”
Police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha said they were investigating a case of reckless and negligent driving. An eyewitness, who declined to be named, said he was travelling behind Holomisa’s SUV and claimed the vehicle was being escorted by an official police vehicle. The SUV and police vehicle had flashing blue lights, the eyewitness said.
“They passed us inside Dutywa CBD in the middle of messy traffic. We opened way for the convoy and about 10 minutes later as we drove out of Dutywa, we saw an accident ahead of us.”
The eyewitness said as they drove past the accident scene, he saw a badly injured man and a woman lying on the roadside. The Daily Dispatch could not establish the condition of the injured at time of writing yesterday.
Holomisa’s spokesman Mzukisi Ndara said Holomisa was travelling to the East London Airport to board a flight to Cape Town with two protection officers.
He said Holomisa was treated at Life St Dominics in East London.
“He was travelling from an official duty in his political constituency which is Mqanduli.”
Holomisa, 56, is a member of parliament who was a former chairman of the joint constitutional review committee.
He is a former president of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa and is chief of the AmaGebe tribe. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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