/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The Transport Minister, Ms Dipuo Peters sends her sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives and wishes a speedy recovery to those who sustained injuries, following a road crash which occurred on Friday 03 October 2014, between Perdekop and Standerton on the R23 road in Mpumalanga Province.

According to a preliminary report from the Accident and Investigation Unit of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), passengers were mercilessly killed in one of the gross irresponsible and senseless driving by one of the Public Transport (Taxi) vehicle, driving from the New Castle destined to Johannesburg, carrying 16 passengers  including the taxi driver, 11 of the passengers passed on and 5 of them survived with minor injuries .

A high level investigation teams consisting of Department of Transport, Road Traffic Management Corporation  as well as Mpumalanga government, has been instituted to unearth the causal factors of this crash.

The team’s is not limited to determining what caused the crash but also includes coming up with proposed interventions to ensure the prevention of a further recurrence.

“I am calling for the harsh penalty, with no bail of the driver who allegedly was in a possession of a fake drivers license and for the taxi owner to be held responsible for hiring a driver without verifying his credentials,” says the Minister.

“ The Taxi Associations and Council must take action”, concludes the Minster.

Issued by the Department of Transport