An urgent call was made to the authorities to implement further safety measures to prevent anymore fatal accidents, such as the one last week in the centre of Thohoyandou that claimed the life of one person and injured dozens of others.
The multiple-vehicle pile-up occurred on Friday morning at around 08:40 at the busy Khoroni Hotel/Ratshitanga Avenue intersection. Eyewitnesses reported that a bus belonging to one of the major companies in Vhembe had come charging down the mountain road. It is suspected that the bus's brakes had failed. The driver apparently hooted, attempting to warn of the danger, but ended up ploughing into vehicles before coming to a standstill after hitting a tree and crushing a minibus taxi.
Some of the vehicles were damaged beyond repair. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals and clinics, while the police cordoned off the area to allow them, along with pathologists, to conduct their preliminary investigation. This led to significant traffic congestion, with motorists urged to use alternative routes to reach their destinations.
The hazards posed by the road, previously known as Mphephu Drive but renamed Tenda Ratshitanga Drive, have been pointed out on numerous occasions in the past. A month ago, the overhead bridge that allowed pedestrians to cross the road collapsed after a low-bed truck carrying an excavator had crashed into it. As a result, pedestrians now also have to use the dangerous intersection near Khoroni Hotel.
Last Friday's accident, which involved more than 25 vehicles, sparked renewed calls for action to protect the lives of motorists and pedestrians.
"Arrestor beds need to be erected to stop the carnage. There have been several accidents here, and most of them were the result of runaway vehicles. If there were arrestor beds, drivers could simply move to the lane and avoid causing loss of life and damage to vehicles. The sooner the authorities build them, the better," said Mashudu Mudau, who was at the accident scene.
Businessman Mr Tamim Kondvilkar said his business had been affected adversely. "Besides the massive damage caused to my truck, my business suffered great losses. I use the truck to service my clients at all my branches, up to Giyani. At the time of the accident, we were transporting chicks to clients. Many of the chicks died as a result of shock, and we had to refund some of them (clients). I had to hire another truck to make deliveries for the day at a very high cost," he said.
Meanwhile, Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety Ms Susani Violet Mathye offered her condolences to the family who lost a loved one in last Friday's accident. The MEC's spokesperson, Mr Tshifhiwa Dali, said that the department was investigating the cause of the accident. "It serves as a stark reminder of the importance of responsible driving. The MEC urges all road users to exercise caution, adhere to speed limits, and maintain safe following distances to avoid such tragedies," said Dali.
Questions were sent to Thulamela Municipality, under whose jurisdiction the road and intersection fall. The municipality's spokesperson, Mr Ndwamato Tshiila, stated that there were, unfortunately, no simple solutions. He noted that constructing arrestor beds next to the road might not be practical.
"The space left here is small and might even affect Khoroni Hotel. Our engineers are busy studying the area and will advise on what needs to be done," he said.
Tshiila urged vehicle drivers to ensure their vehicles are in a roadworthy condition as many accidents result from unroadworthy vehicles.