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WENDY MOTHATA
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep sadness at the death of 19 learners and two adults in a collision between a bakkie and a truck near Pongola in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Friday.
The learners were allegedly transported on a bakkie when their vehicle collided with a truck.
“This is yet another sad moment for our country, following the substantial loss of young lives in an Eastern Cape tavern recently,” said Ramaphosa.
“We cannot afford to lose such precious lives under any conditions. I hope the investigation into the Pongola incident will shed light on the cause of this tragedy and help us take better care of our children into the future.”
KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has meanwhile called on the courts to deliver justice to the victims of the horror crash.
Dube-Ncube described the incident as “painfully sad.”
“This is one of the most tragic accidents in our province in recent times. What is painfully sad is to learn that this accident has taken the lives of so many of our young people whose future and that of their families is now destroyed,” said Dube-Ncube.
“Sadly, it is becoming clearer by the day that increasingly, human factors are playing a major role in road fatalities in our province which is cause for major concern. We commend the SAPS and the community for working together to facilitate the arrest of the driver of the truck that was involved in this fatal accident who had also fled the scene. We therefore call on the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster to act swiftly and in concert to ensure that justice is delivered for the sake of the victims and
their families.”
Dube-Ncube said that the provincial government will provide all the necessary support to the surviving families to ensure that they are able to bear the impact of the tragedy.
“We also convey our sincere condolences to the families, relatives and friends who have lost their loved ones in this terrible accident. The provincial government will provide all the necessary support to the surviving families to ensure that they are able to bear the impact of this tragedy and when the time comes, to lay the souls of the departed to rest with the appropriate dignity. May their souls rest in peace,” said Dube-Ncube.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it was clear that the ANC-led government was failing KZN’s road users.
“The lawlessness and carnage that we are witnessing is proof of this. Yesterday also saw a separate incident involving learners. The only positive is that there were no deaths in this particular instance,” said Francois Rodgers, DA leader in the KZN Legislature.
“Given the growing crisis in our province, the DA expects National Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, to intervene and ensure that our roads are safe, properly maintained and that there is increased visible policing.”
Rodgers said the DA will be closely monitoring the outcome of the Pongola crash investigation.
“Both the Minister and his MEC and must be held accountable while the perpetrator must be behind bars sooner rather than later. Justice must be served on behalf of the families,” he said.
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