Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa have sent their condolences to the families of 29 people killed in two separate road crashes in the Western Cape and Mpumalanga.
Twenty-one people died in a multiple-vehicle crash on the N1 between Leeu Gamka and Prince Albert in the Western Cape at about 12.30am on Monday.
The crash involved two Toyota Quantum taxis and a Suzuki Brezza SUV.
Eight people were also killed in a head-on collision involving two sedan vehicles on the N17 between Ermelo and Davel in Mpumalanga at about 1am on Sunday.
In a statement released on Monday, Creecy and Hlengwa said they have instructed the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), working with local authorities, to investigate the circumstances surrounding both crashes.
Preliminary investigation reports are expected within 48 hours of the investigations getting under way.
The ministers have also instructed the Road Accident Fund (RAF) to urgently provide assistance to the families of those who died and people who were injured in the crashes.
Road fatalities remain a concern
The latest crashes come as the Department of Transport works to sustain a 9% reduction in road fatalities and crashes recently recorded.
Speaking at a Road Safety Colloquium at the Birchwood Conference Centre on September 2, Creecy said the department and provinces had made significant progress over the past two years.
She said annual crashes and fatalities decreased by more than 6% in 2025 compared with 2024.
Creecy also said data from the 2025/26 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign showed a 5% decline in both crashes and fatalities, while five provinces recorded fewer deaths than during the same period the previous year.
During the 2026 Easter long weekend, the RTMC recorded the second-lowest number of crashes and fatalities over the past four Easter periods.
Compared with the peak recorded in 2024, crashes fell by 24% and fatalities dropped by 39%.
However, Creecy acknowledged that despite the progress, the number of people dying on South African roads remains unacceptably high.
She said every death represents the loss of a loved one, parent or breadwinner, and called for existing road-safety efforts to be intensified.
Creecy and Hlengwa have also continued holding weekly meetings with provincial MECs responsible for transport and community safety since last year to assess measures aimed at reducing road deaths.
Road safety warning
Although the causes of the two crashes have not yet been established, Creecy has urged motorists to travel during daylight hours where possible.
She also called on motorists to obey the rules of the road and follow basic safety measures.
These include:
- Do not drink and drive.
- Take a break after every two hours of driving or every 200km.
- Wear a seatbelt.
- Observe the prescribed speed limit.
- Check that both the vehicle and driver are fit before starting a long journey.