Some 1,685 people died over the 2021 festive season period on South African roads as the overall figure increased by 14% compared to the previous year, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula revealed on Tuesday.
The Eastern Cape province, however, recorded the largest decline in road deaths of 7.9%, or 210 fatalities, between 1 December 2021 and 11 January 2022 – compared to the same period in the previous festivities when 228 deaths were recorded.
“We want to congratulate and commend the Eastern Cape leadership for their sterling work as they marshalled their troops towards the attainment of this significant reduction,” Mbalula said.
Closely following behind was KwaZulu-Natal province, with a 6.5% fatality decline. The province recorded 275 deaths as compared to 294 in the same period last year, Mbalula said.
However, the minister said it was disturbing to note that the Northern Cape had registered the highest increase, with the province’s road crash death toll recording a 97% increase from the corresponding period.
While the province recorded 33 deaths in the 2020 festive season, 65 fatalities were recorded in 2021, he said.
The Western Cape recorded a massive 55.6% increase in the percentage of fatalities – moving from 133 fatalities in 2020 to 207 deaths in the reporting period, the minister said.
“We need to get to the root cause of this drastic increase and address it in a decisive manner,” he said.
North West recorded a 25.3% increase moving from 95 fatalities in the previous period to 119 in 2021, while Mpumalanga recorded an increase of 24.3% — rising from 152 deaths in 2020 to 189.
Limpopo recorded a 16.5% increase, moving from 194 deaths in the previous period to 226 fatalities in the 2021 period, and Gauteng recorded a 15.5% increase – moving from 238 fatalities in the previous period to 275 between December 2021 and January 2022 period, he said.
NM/jn/APA