Three people have died and two others were seriously injured after a truck collided with a car on the N2 in Phongolo, northern KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday.
The provincial transport department said traffic ambassador Ayanda Msweli reported the accident. Road Traffic Inspectorate officials worked alongside emergency rescue services and other agencies at the scene.
Motorists were advised to exercise caution as one lane remained closed while recovery operations continued.
Transport MEC Siboniso Duma highlighted the ongoing risk of truck-related accidents and said the provincial department had recently increased monitoring at weighbridges across KwaZulu-Natal. The operation, started on Wednesday, led to the arrest of 10 undocumented foreign nationals, including three truck drivers without professional driving permits or necessary documentation.
Duma said, “Over the past months, we recorded an increase in fatalities and severe injuries linked to horrific truck accidents. We have resolved to sustain our operations at more than 17 weighbridges across the province, including the N2 and N3.”
The highest number of vehicles weighed at a single weighbridge was 40,441 at Midway, with an average of 3,370 vehicles weighed per month. This figure is 33% lower than the highest monthly average of 5,027 vehicles recorded at the Mpofana weighbridge in 2023/24.
Duma added that the planned launch of six new train operating companies to transport coal and chrome along the North Corridor is expected to shift millions of tonnes of freight from trucks to rail, reducing road accidents.
“Trucks have destroyed families, created orphans and widows, and left many living with disability,” Duma said.
