EIGHT people were killed in a motor vehicle accident on the N1, northbound towards Musina, just before Baobab Tollgate in Vhembe District on Saturday, 1 April.
The Department of Transport and Community Safety spokeswoman in Limpopo, Tidimalo Chuene, said the accident allegedly happened after a minibus taxi overtook unsafely on a barrier line and collided head-on with a light delivery vehicle at about 5 am.
Chuene said five men and three women lost their lives.
“Eight other people who sustained injuries were transported to nearby health facilities for medical attention.
“The road is still temporarily closed for emergency services to attend to the scene,” she said.
Chuene advised to use alternative routes or exercise patience.
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Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Florence Radzilani, sent condolences to the families of the deceased.
"We are deeply saddened by the news and pray for the departed, and the families they leave behind. We also pray for the healing of those who sustained injuries in the accident.
“We are heading to Easter long weekend, which will see a heightened presence of motor vehicles on our roads, as people will be travelling to different parts of the province to spend time with their families,” Radzilani said.
She said they anticipate this to be a period of joy and family reunions, and experience has taught them that some motorists are reckless on the roads.
Radzilani said the responsibility for road safety lies with all individual drivers.
“Driver behaviour, which includes reckless driving, overtaking at unsafe spots, over-speeding, overloading, and drunk driving, counts as the number one cause of road accidents and fatalities.
“We are therefore continuing as a department, to make a clarion call to motorists, to become a part of the road safety crusade, and be responsible road users at all times, for all to arrive alive,” Radzilani added.
