BLAME shared
TRANSPORT Minister Fikile Mbalula has revealed that the driver of the death truck that collided with the bakkie carrying young learners overtook several vehicles and drove more than 1.2km on the oncoming traffic lane.
The horror accident occurred on the N2 at the Godlwayo area in Pongola last Friday, where 20 people including the bakkie driver lost their lives.
On Thursday, Mbalula visited the bereaved families and released the accident report compiled by the Road Traffic Management Cooperation.
“This could have been avoided. The tears and pain in our hearts serve as a reminder that we must arrest the scourge on our road.
Mbalula revealed that Sibusiso Siyaya (28) recklessly overtook several vehicles while driving in the oncoming traffic lane.
“He did so, despite being prohibited by no-overtaking lanes. Other vehicles had to swerve out of the way of the approaching truck. He put the lives of other motorists in danger. He never made any attempts to return to his lane. The report concludes that the driver’s error is a major contributing factor to the root cause of the accident,” he said Mbalula also criticised deceased bakkie driver, Lethukuthula Nkonyane, who was transporting the scholars in the back of his van.
“Transporting passengers on the back of the bakkie is illegal and extremely dangerous for passengers on the back of the goods vehicle.
This also highlights a point about scholar transport. This is not only happening in KZN but it also happening in the whole country,’ he said.
The truck driver was arrested a day after the accident. He handed himself over to the police after they had launched a manhunt for him. He was charged with 20 counts of culpable homicide and made his first appearance in the Pongola Magistrate’s Court last Monday. He was remanded in police custody pending further investigation and appeared in court on Monday, where he abandoned his bail application.
Minister says both truck and bakkie drivers are responsible