The Democratic Alliance wishes to express their sincere condolences to the family and friends who have lost loved ones in the deadly head-on collision on the N2 between Dutywa and Butterworth over the weekend.
The horror crash, involving a Toyota Avanza and a truck, saw all seven occupants of the Avanza die at the scene, while the truck driver has sustained critical injuries.
The accident has been attributed to speeding, reckless and negligent driving and non-adherence to the rules of the road.
In a capable state, there would be respect for the rules of the road, brought about by a strong awareness campaign, round the clock visible policing and strict penalties for those who fail to adhere to the rules. In the Western Cape, for instance, traffic officers are on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In the Eastern Cape, Transport MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe continues to pay lip service to creating a 24-hour traffic law enforcement service, with no implementation for over three years.
It has become abundantly clear that the MEC’s intervention strategy has failed to reduce the number of fatalities on the roads, because she does not have the necessary staff to do the work.
I will be submitting questions to MEC Tikana-Gxothiwe, to get answers from her as to why she has once again failed to get the 24-hour Traffic Law Enforcement off the ground.
How many more lives must be lost before the MEC finally acts. The DA will continue to fight for improved law enforcement on our provincial roads. The people of the Eastern Cape deserve better.