Some 104 people were killed in South Africa’s road accidents over the long Easter weekend that started from April 18 to April 22, South African Transport Minister Blade Nzimande said on Wednesday.
According to the minister on Wednesday, the accidents occurred between April 18 and Easter Sunday.
Accidents on Monday, which was also a public holiday, on which many people travelled back to their bases, were not included in the statistics provided on Wednesday, he said.
This was significantly lower than the number of fatalities recorded last year, the minister said.
“There were 104 fatalities recorded, which is a decrease of 41% from the 2018 Easter period,” he said.
The highest number of fatalities were reported in the northern Limpopo Province which is the main highway to neighbouring states of Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia, with 27 lives being lost.
This was followed by KwaZulu-Natal Province, which hosts Durban and its golden sand beaches, which witnessed 26 deaths.
The lowest number of fatalities were recorded in the Free State and Northern Cape, with only two fatalities reported each.
“I have directed the Road Accident Fund to provide the families of the deceased and the injured with the necessary support and care during this difficult time,” Nzimande said.
NM/jn/APA