The annual carnage on the province’s roads has now claimed the lives of OR Tambo district mayor Nomakhosazana Meth’s two sons, Bradley Meth, 18, and Ndiphelele Diko, 21, bringing the festive season’s death toll to 203.
Provincial transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose confirmed Meth’s two sons had been travelling north on the N2 with two others at Payne location near Mthatha in the early hours of Saturday when the accident occurred.
“The vehicle was travelling from Dutywa with four occupants, three males and one female, when the driver lost control. A passenger and the driver were declared dead on the scene while a male passenger and female sustained slight injuries. Both were taken to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital,” Binqose said.
He said the driver apparently lost control while trying to avoid a dog on the road. The vehicle overturned. A case of culpable homicide has been opened with Mthatha police.
ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said the party was shocked and saddened. “It is a great loss for the family to lose two adult children who had just finished matric and were going to be a source of inspiration, not only to the family but to our nation. Words cannot express the pain of losing such young family members. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and we hope the Lord gives comrade Meth strength,” Ngcukayitobi said.
On Friday four occupants, including a 10-year-old boy, in a Peugeot travelling from Port Elizabeth towards Makhanda died when their vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a bus.
It is alleged that the driver of the Peugeot drove into a no-entry zone towards oncoming traffic.
In the early hours of Saturday on the R61 near Aberdeen, about 50km from Beaufort West, a VW Polo collided with a Toyota Quantum. Two people were declared dead at the scene. “The Polo was travelling from the Eastern Cape to Cape Town with four occupants and the Quantum from Cape Town to the Eastern Cape. The Polo driver and a passenger were declared dead. Two passengers sustained critical injuries. In the Quantum three critical injuries were declared by EMS workers and taken to nearby hospitals,” Binqose said.
A case of culpable homicide was opened at Aberdeen police for further investigation.
Binqose said speeding and fatigue remained leading factors in most of the festive season’s road accidents.
On Sunday transport MEC Weziwe Tikana led a high-level law enforcement operation in Komani to close off the festive season on the N6, which is one of the country’s busiest junctions, linking motorists from towns all across the province on route to major destinations like Gauteng and the Western Cape...