The truck driver handed himself over to the authorities in KZN on Saturday. Photo: Twitter/@TrafficSA
Mbalula to release report on Pongola crash that left 20 dead
Mbalula will release an accident report in Pongola and outline the government’s plan to relieve truck and freight pressure on the roads.
The truck driver handed himself over to the authorities in KZN on Saturday. Photo: Twitter/@TrafficSA
A truck and bakkie collision on the N2 in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal left 20 people dead on Friday, 16 September. The driver was arrested after initially fleeing the scene. The Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, who received a lot of flak in the wake of the accident, will release an accident report on Thursday, 22 September.
MBALULA TO RELEASE PONGOLA ACCIDENT REPORT
Mbalula will release the accident report and outline the government’s plan to alleviate the pressure on the roads as a result of the freight and trucking industry at the Godlwayo One Stop Development Centre in Pongola at 10:00 on Thursday.
The death toll in the crash was initially 21 but it was revised after it came to light that one of the bodies was counted twice. Dashboard camera footage of the tragic accident emerged and allegedly showed the truck driver attempting to overtake another truck before crashing into the bakkie.
READ:
- WATCH: Dashcam footage of the horrific N2 Pongola crash
- Leaked audio suggests Pongola truck driver was fleeing cops
The driver, Sibusiso Siyaya, 28, appeared in the Pongola Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 19 September, on charges of culpable homicide. He was remanded in custody until next week Monday when he is expected to make a bail application.
After the crash, old tweets from Pongola resident surfaced that showed a man mentioning Mbalula and pleading with him to take action.
“@MbalulaFikile I am from a small town called Pongola in Northern KZN, we have a N2 crossing in the middle of the town, there are no robots to control the traffic and it is only a matter of time before a huge accident that will take many lives happens…” read a tweet. It was dated 13 June 2019.
The Department of Transport has not confirmed whether the Minister was aware of the tweet. Meanwhile, the Mayor of the Zululand District Municipality, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has called for trucks to be banned along certain roads in the area.
READ:
