MEMBER OF ZULU ROYAL HOUSEHOLD DIES IN CAR CRASH

A member of the Zulu Royal Household and three other occupants were burnt to death in a car crash which occurred yesterday(19/12/02) at about 17h00 in the vicinity of Oom Wessel’s Winkle along the R66 on the Melmoth/Eshowe Road on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast.

It is alleged that a head-on collision occurred after the driver of a bakkie overtook a truck and collided with the Toyota car that was transporting the wife of Prince Derrick, brother of His Majesty the King Goodwill Zwelithini. Upon impact both the bakkie and the Toyota car burst into flames.

The wife of Prince Derrick, and three SAPS bodyguards, all occupants of the Toyota car, were burnt to death upon impact.

The driver of the bakkie and two other passengers are in a serious condition while the fourth passenger escaped with slight injuries. The injured were all removed to the KwaMagwaza Hospital in Melmoth. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding this crash are currently underway by the SAPS.

Head of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, Dr Kwazi Mbanjwa has expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes those injured a speedy recovery.

Meanwhile, the road death toll in the country has risen to more than 588. Of this number, 125 people have been killed in 101 crashes on KZN roads of which 49 are pedestrians, 32 are drivers and 44 are passengers.

Since December 1, officers of the KZN Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) alone have charged road users for more than 30 000 traffic offences as part of our "Zero Tolerance" programme. Of this number more than 23 000 were for speed-related offences and 45 for drunk driving.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony for twenty nine (29) newly qualified traffic officers in Pietermaritzburg last night, Dr Mbanjwa said that in light of the shocking recent road deaths, it is hoped that these additional officers will be able to make some difference to help us reduce the carnage on our roads.

"The fact that we have had so many deaths in this province so early in the Christmas Holiday season is tragic for all of us, especially for those families who have to spend this season of goodwill mourning loved ones, and who will go into the New Year without bread-winners, a child, a friend or family member. Until everybody in our province, and those visiting it, understand that road safety is the responsibility of every road user, we can invest millions in road safety without a return in terms of saving of lives," said Mbanjwa.

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