South Africa: Long weekend road accidents kill over 90

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANESBURG (AA) - Over 90 people were killed on South African roads from Friday to Monday, as thousands drove out of major cities heading to different holiday destinations for the start of the festive season, authorities said Tuesday.

“Thirty people were killed in accidents in Gauteng province (including Johannesburg and Pretoria) over the long weekend,” Johannesburg Metro Police Spokesman Wayne Minnaar told Anadolu Agency over the phone.

He said 20 motorists had been arrested for speeding with one offender caught driving at 206 kilometers per hour.

According to local media, over 40 people were killed in both the Western and Eastern Cape Province from Friday to Monday, which was a public holiday in the country.

Two deadly accidents that occurred in the Northwest province also claimed 24 lives and left several injured.

Thousands of people are killed in road accidents every festive season in South Africa. Last year, a total of 14,050 fatalities were recorded in the country.

“85 percent of fatalities on our roads are caused by human errors, destructed driving, and fatigue among others,” Johan Jonck of the road campaign Arrive Alive told Anadolu Agency.

Simon Zwane, spokesman for government body The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) tasked with road safety, told Anadolu Agency that 2,099 people had been arrested since the beginning of December for various traffic offenses.