Measures in place to curb Easter road fatalities: Hlengwa


Deputy Minister of Transport, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, says measures have been put in place to curb road fatalities on the roads during the Easter holidays.

Hlengwa was speaking after meeting the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) leadership in Moria outside Polokwane in Limpopo.

High traffic volumes are expected on major routes, especially the N1 and the R71 roads leading to the ZCC and Saint Engenas ZCC for the Easter conferences.

A million pilgrims are expected to gather at both churches.

Hlengwa says they hope to record zero deaths on the N1 just like last year.

“We were here last year as well, and as you know, we did not register a fatality on the N1 in the Easter period, and that is because of the ongoing work that we are doing. So, we are focused on road safety and just because of the sheer volumes of transportation that will be converging here for the next few days.”

Hlengwa is calling on the law enforcement officers to apply the law to its full extent.

“We are encouraging law enforcement officers to meet out the consequent management of the law to the fullest. We want people to be arrested for drinking and driving, for speeding, because driver behaviour constitutes 86% of all our fatalities in the country, so we are clamping down on that,” says Hlengwa.

Limpopo Transport MEC Violet Mathye is cautioning road users to keep the rules of the road. She says that roadblocks will be manned across all major routes.

“We have mobilised resources, we have even mobilised traffic law enforcement trainees in their areas, colleges of the province. We have issued an instruction that they are not to go home or colleges to close. They must assist all of us, working with SAPS.”

A hawker along the R71 near the ZCC headquarters in Moria outside Polokwane says the Easter gatherings help them to put food on the table for their families.

Hawker, John Manaka, says he has stocked enough supplies to cater for the customers.

“I’m very excited because during this time, we get more customers than usual. People are travelling, they stop to buy food, drinks, and snacks as they go to Moria to celebrate their Easter holiday. It really helps me make enough money to support their family,” says Manaka.

Minister of Transport, Barbra Creecy, will also visit the province on Thursday.