Zim family perishes in South Africa crash

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LIMPOPO — A Zimbabwean family of four died in a head-on collision near South Africa’s town of Louis Trichardt on Friday, police said yesterday. “The family from Zimbabwe travelling in a Land Rover collided head-on with a small truck at approximately 04:45 on Friday morning,” said Limpopo provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Ronel Otto.

LIMPOPO — A Zimbabwean family of four died in a head-on collision near South Africa’s town of Louis Trichardt on Friday, police said yesterday. “The family from Zimbabwe travelling in a Land Rover collided head-on with a small truck at approximately 04:45 on Friday morning,” said Limpopo provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Ronel Otto.

by VENERANDA LANGA CHIEF-SPT-PAUL-NYATHI

“The father, mother and two girls aged 14 and two died on the scene. Two boys aged seven and eight survived the accident and were taken to hospital in a critical condition.

“The driver of the truck, who is also from Zimbabwe was also critically injured.”

Names will be released once next of kin have been informed, Otto said.

Meanwhile, four people died while 64 others were injured in traffic accidents that happened on Christmas day locally, police spokesperson chief superintendent Paul Nyathi has said.

“On Christmas day we recorded a total of 51 road traffic accidents compared to 87 on the same day in 2014,” Nyathi said yesterday.

Although the number of accidents on Christmas day had dropped compared to last year, Nyathi said motorists and pedestrians should exercise extreme caution on the roads to ensure their safety throughout the holidays.

“A total of 121 vehicles were impounded on Christmas day for various defects, compared to 149 in 2014 on the same day, and the police issued 7 017 tickets for various traffic offences compared to 7 045 in 2014,” Nyathi said.

He said the police would also crack the whip on touts who harassed travellers, forcing them onto buses they did not wish to board. He said people who employed those touts would also be brought to book.

Nyathi said 140 touts were arrested on Christmas day for distracting travellers, pulling their bags, and forcing them to embark on buses which were not their preferred choices.

He said police had to move in to bring sanity at long distance bus termini throughout the country to monitor the situation. — Additional reporting by Capricon Voice