As the country mourns the 21 people who died in a horrific crash on the N2 near Pongola in KwaZulu-Natal, President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep sadness at the tragedy.
KwaZulu-Natal EMS said the fatalities included two adults and 19 children.
Accident
The children were all primary school pupils aged between 5 and 12 years old, who were being transported home from school on Friday afternoon.
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They were allegedly being transported on the back of a bakkie when their vehicle collided with a truck.
Circumstances surrounding the collision are still unclear, but Pongola Mayor Velephi Sikhosana alleged that a truck lost control and collided with a bakkie that was parked at the roadside.
Cyril Ramaphosa expresses sadness
Ramaphosa conveyed his condolences to all families who lost loved ones in this incident and wished survivors a speedy and full recovery.
“This is yet another sad moment for our country, following the substantial loss of young lives in an Eastern Cape tavern recently.”
“We cannot afford to lose such precious lives under any conditions. I hope the investigation into the Pongola incident will shed light on the cause of this tragedy and help us take better care of our children into the future,” Ramaphosa said.
Truck Driver Arrested
Meanwhile, the truck driver in the N2 Pongola accident has been arrested.
The driver handed himself over to the police on Saturday after a call by the MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Sipho Hlomuka.
The driver is expected to appear in the Pongola Magistrate Court on Monday.
Hlomuka is expected to attend the court proceedings.
“His arrest is important in assisting the families to deal with the devastation of losing their relatives. We commend the police who have had to activate all systems to make sure that the driver is pressured to surrender himself.”
“We will be there to support the people of Pongolo and the families during his court appearance,” said Hlomuka.
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