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The Road Traffic Management Corporation will monitor the trial of a truck owner, Mr Gregory Govender, who is set to appear in court tomorrow (Friday August 12) in connection with a Pinetown truck collision that led to the death of 24 people in September 2013.

Mr. Govender, who owns a company called Sagekal Logistics CC, is scheduled to appear in the Verulam magistrate’s court on charges relating to the contravention of the National Road Traffic Act and the Immigration Act.

He is accused of operating vehicles that are not roadworthy, failing to exercise due care for the safety of the public by delegating maintenance of the vehicles to unqualified persons and employing an illegal foreigner and failing to run a proper background check.

The truck was driven by Mr. Sanele May, a Swazi national, at the time of the crash. Mr. May was in the country illegally and was sentenced to eight-year years imprisonment after pleading guilty to 24 charges of culpable homicide following that horrific collision.

This case comes as public records show a year-on-year an increase in the number of un-roadworthy vehicles in the country. The number of un-roadworthy vehicles have increased by 15 466 in June this year compared to June last year (2015).

The total number of un-roadworthy vehicles in  June 2015 was 539 359 and this has increased to 554 825 in June this year. The highest increase recorded in LDV’s and trailers and light motor vehicles.

The RTMC reiterates it's warning to motor vehicle owners and public transport operators that they have the duty to keep their vehicles in a roadworthy state. It is crime to operate an un-roadworthy vehicle on a public road. Un-roadworthy vehicles also contribute to the high number of crashes on our roads.

Issued by Road Traffic Management Corporation