The Democratic Alliance is deeply concerned by a horrific crash on the N10 at the Cradock railway bridge on Monday, where at least two people are reported to have lost their lives following a devastating collision involving a heavy freight truck.
Video footage circulating publicly shows a truck travelling at high speed on the wrong side of the road before colliding head-on with oncoming vehicles. The force of the impact caused the truck to mount and bounce over at least one vehicle before coming to a stop, leaving a scene of extreme destruction.
This incident bears disturbing similarities to previous fatal crashes on the N10 between Nxuba (formerly Cradock) and Middelburg, a route that has become notorious for serious and often fatal accidents involving heavy trucks.
Of particular concern is the continued collapse of the Middelburg Weighbridge project, which has been effectively abandoned and remains unresolved despite repeated undertakings by the Eastern Cape Department of Transport to intervene.
In July, DA EC Midlands Constituency Leader Heinrich Müller MPL formally raised the crisis surrounding the stalled weighbridge, highlighting severe dust pollution, unsafe road conditions, and the complete absence of effective freight monitoring in Middelburg.
The result is a critical enforcement gap on one of the province’s most dangerous freight corridors. Without a functioning weighbridge, overloaded, mechanically unfit, and poorly regulated trucks continue to operate unchecked on routes such as the N10 between Middelburg and Nxuba (Cradock), placing ordinary motorists at extreme risk.
The Democratic Alliance extends its heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident. No family should have to endure such loss simply because basic road safety is not enforced.
I will be writing to the MEC for Transport, Xolile Nqatha, demanding immediate and concrete measures to prevent further loss of life, including mandatory safety checks and enforcement for heavy freight vehicles, particularly on steep and high-risk corridors and 24/7 visible traffic law enforcement on known danger routes, with rapid intervention capability.
The DA will continue to hold the provincial government accountable and will not relent until decisive action is taken to make our roads safer.