Durban — Traffic calming measures such as the installation of speed humps are among the many interventions the government is looking to make on the N2 Pongola strip.
This was according to the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government after a delegation of government officials went to Pongola following Friday’s fatal crash.
Acting KZN premier Nomagugu Simelane was with KZN transport, community safety and liaison MEC Sipho Hlomuka and acting KZN education MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi.
The delegation of government officials was led by Simelane, who announced several interventions to assist grieving families.
Though it was initially reported that 21 people died following the crash, on Monday the Department of Health clarified that the death toll had been revised to 20.
Those who died were 18 children between the ages of seven and 12 and two adults – a teacher and the bakkie driver.
The bakkie was transporting school children when a truck crashed head-on into it on Friday afternoon.
Simelane said the government will soon be meeting the South African National Roads Agency Limited to discuss the issue of expanding the N2 Pongola strip.
“Extending the road would be a long project that can take years. Immediate interventions would be to erect speed humps and increase law enforcement working with Provincial Road Traffic Inspectorate and local traffic officers.
“MEC Hlomuka will be meeting with (Transport) Minister Fikile Mbalula this week and we will put this issue on the agenda. We cannot sit and relax while the trucks are terrorising communities and other road users in Pongola. We will also be meeting with truck companies for them to deal with their drivers who are bullying other road users,” Simelane said.
Addressing the families at the Godlwayo Thusong Centre in Pongola, after visiting the scene of the crash, affected schools and families at their homes, Simelane said the provincial government will support the families with funeral arrangements, counselling of family members and pupils in affected schools and ensure that justice is done.
“Upon inspecting the accident scene and receiving a technical briefing on what might have been the cause of the accident, we are convinced that it’s tantamount to murder and the driver should be charged as such. We need to teach others a lesson through him. Families will never ever be able to see their children and he too must languish in jail. We will leave that to the courts but it should not be a culpable homicide,” Simelane said.
“As the government of KwaZulu-Natal, we will engage with families from now on until they bury their loved ones. We have brought with us all relevant government entities including the Road Accident Fund, which will assist family members with claims but we will intervene as government and assist in the funeral arrangements. Our teams will be here to talk to families and see whether they are willing to do a mass funeral. Of course, this will be in agreement with all families because we are cognisant of their cultural and religious beliefs.”
The truck driver, Sibusiso Siyaya, 28, who appeared in the Pongola Magistrate’s Court, was remanded in custody for a formal bail application on September 26.
Siyaya faces 20 counts of culpable homicide.
Commenting on another crash involving trucks, the provincial department said that one person sustained serious injuries when two trucks and four light vehicles collided on the R66/R34 between Ulundi and Vryheid. Vehicles caught fire on impact, which forced the road to be closed for hours.
Daily News