As South Africa marks World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday, 16 November, the Democratic Alliance calls on residents of the Eastern Cape to pause and reflect on the devastating human cost of road carnage.
This year’s theme, Remember. Support. Act., must be a warning to a government that has failed in its most basic duty: keeping people safe on the road.
Over the 2024/25 December holiday period, 1234 fatal crashes claimed 1502 lives nationally, a 5.3% increase from the previous year. The Eastern Cape recorded 202 deaths, more than double the 97 deaths in December 2023.
The Democratic Alliance believes these figures are the result of failures in enforcement, infrastructure, and public awareness. South Africa remains the most dangerous country in the world to drive in, with the highest drunk-driving death rate globally.
Nowhere is the collapse more visible than on the R75 between Gqeberha and Kariega. Between April 2024 and May 2025, this single stretch of road claimed 35 lives and left more than a thousand people injured.
It continues to operate with broken traffic lights, inadequate lighting, unsafe pedestrian areas, and no meaningful safety interventions. The deaths of twin siblings at the Spondo Road crossing in September, and multiple crashes in October, reflect a government that talks about “collective action” but delivers no action at all.
Pedestrians remain the most vulnerable. They make up 41% of all fatal crashes nationally, rising to 46.7% in the first quarter of 2025. On the R75 alone, more than 300 pedestrians sustained injuries in just over a year. Blaming “human factors” for 84% of fatal crashes is a convenient way for government to avoid responsibility for collapsing enforcement, unsafe infrastructure, and a lack of meaningful education campaigns.
Where the DA governs, lives are saved. The Western Cape reduced fatalities by 20.21% in early 2025. This is what effective, evidence-based governance looks like.
If the provincial government is serious about curbing road fatalities, immediate interventions are needed, including:
- Comprehensive upgrades to the R75, with working traffic lights, proper lighting, safe pedestrian facilities, and average-speed enforcement.
- Consistent 24/7 law enforcement on high-risk routes.
- Proven safety technologies, such as automated enforcement systems.
- Tougher penalties and faster prosecution for drunk and reckless drivers.
- Mandatory, enforced vehicle roadworthiness testing.
- Faster emergency response and improved trauma care.
- Full pedestrian-safety programmes, especially in townships.
- Partnerships with private stakeholders to support road safety upgrades and awareness.
On this day, we honour every life lost. Their deaths cannot be in vain. It is time for urgent, decisive action. Our communities cannot wait any longer.