Picture: The deceased, Masego Mocumi, and her daughter, Remo/Supplied
By OBAKENG MAJE
A mother and her daughter from Mamutla village, near Taung, who died in a horrific car accident on R31 road in Danielskuil, Northern Cape last week Sunday, were laid to rest today.
Masego Mocumi and her daughter, Remo, were among nine people who died in a head-on collision between a white Toyota Quantum minibus taxi and a white Polo TSI. The other four deceased persons will be buried at Madipelesa village, near Taung on 29 July 2023.
Mocumi was working as an admin clerk at Mamutla Clinic. The Northern Cape police spokesperson, Sgt Molefi Shemane said the accident claimed nine lives of whom three were children.
“Eleven people were hospitalised, of which, three injured were the occupants of the white Polo TSI, while eight people were in the minibus taxi. The police are investigating the circumstances that led to these tragic accidents,” said Shemane.
The Northern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola conveyed her sincere condolences and expressed her deepest sympathy to the members of the bereaved families and the injured.
Otola also appealed to road users to obey all rules of the road, exercise caution and show good behaviour, while on the road.
Picture: The deceased, Masego Mocumi/Supplied
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) in Northern Cape, Ofentse Mokae, who is also DA Northern Cape Spokesperson of Transport, Safety & Liaison said they have submitted a written request to the chairpersons of the portfolio committees of Roads and Public Works and Transport, Safety and Liaison to convene a joint meeting with the respective departments in conjunction with Sanral.
Mokae further said they will also include relevant municipalities so that a comprehensive approach to road safety along the R31 can be taken.
“Government’s failure to increase road safety along the R31 and branching roads is aggravating the unnecessary and tragic loss of lives on what is notoriously known as the “road of death”. On Sunday, ten people died and eleven were injured in two separate accidents along the R31 route in Danielskuil and Kathu respectively.
“These are not isolated accidents. In February, 13 people were injured when a minibus overturned. In September last year, seven people were killed on the R31 in close vicinity of Kuruman in a head-on collision and the list goes on.”
Mokae said they have addressed their concerns on various platforms, including legislature portfolio committee meetings. He said the DA’s Provincial Leader, Harold McGluwa, even raised the matter in a previous debate on the State of the Province Address (SOPA).
“Last month, the DA again wrote to the Northern Cape MEC of Roads, Fufe Makatong, appealing to her to seriously consider the placement of speedbumps at all intersections along this road after another fatal road accident on the connected N14 Kathu-road, but we received no feedback. The R31 route is largely utilized by heavy manganese trucks from mines in the Northern Cape to harbours. This has aggravated potholes and worsened road safety conditions, given narrow lanes and shoulders.
“We note that, portions of the R31 have recently been taken over by the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral), which has announced an allocation of billions of rands towards road maintenance and construction projects. We also welcome the completion of Transnet’s Mamathwane crossing loop, which should take thousands of heavy manganese trucks off our roads,” said Mokae.
The Guardian 