By Buziwe Nocuze
Thirteen people, including children, died in a bus crash at the Hex River Pass near De Doorns in the Western Cape on Saturday afternoon.
The bus was carrying 60 people from Zimbabwe to Cape Town.
Western Cape Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie said the bus driver lost control and hit a truck before crashing into the rock wall of the pass.
“Thirteen people died, and [others suffered] multiple injuries, including seven patients in critical condition who were hospitalised,” said Mackenzie.
A truck driver speaking anonymously said one of the reasons for the large number of accidents on South African roads is that drivers don’t respect each other.
“I am sad that innocent lives were lost,” said the driver. “I hope this was the last incident. But with the disrespect on the road, I am afraid we are still going to see a lot of these, especially now that we are heading into Easter.
“I am not going to pretend that we are saints, but I wish our government could take a good look at buses coming from Zimbabwe or other African countries. I don’t know if they are not used to our roads, but they are not afraid of overtaking while on a curve.”
Another truck driver, who did not want to be named, said that drivers of heavy vehicles often don’t get enough sleep, which affects their alertness and control.
“Those bus drivers can decrease the accidents if they first acknowledge that the buses they are driving have big and long trailers. They must keep that in mind before overtaking. They are not driving small cars,” said the truck driver.
Mandla Kaleni, a Cape Town resident, said more traffic police patrols were needed.
“Drivers driving vehicles that they are not qualified to drive is also contributing to this problem. Our patrol officers need to be strict with anyone who is not following the law. We cannot continue losing innocent people like this,” said Kaleni.
Pictured above: A screenshot from the bus crash video.
Image source: Supplied
