Eastern Cape Easter roads largely accident-free, but 15 killed in three crashes

The Eastern Cape’s major transport routes were largely accident-free over the Easter weekend, but three separate crashes claimed 15 lives.

Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha commended road safety teams for their efforts during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, which ended in the early hours of Tuesday. Traffic officers, emergency medical personnel, road safety officials and police worked extended hours under a co-ordinated provincial command.

Nqatha said the integrated approach, where different law enforcement agencies worked together, contributed to improved compliance and safer conditions on key routes.

Historically high-risk corridors, including the N2 between Mthatha and Gqeberha, the R61 towards the Western Cape, and the N6, did not experience the levels of fatalities seen in previous years.

Instead, the fatal incidents occurred on shorter, less busy roads.

Two of the crashes took place along the R67 between KwaMaqoma (Fort Beaufort) and Komani (Queenstown), while the third and most severe incident, which claimed seven lives, occurred on the M17 in Gqeberha.

Authorities said all three crashes were head-on collisions, commonly linked to reckless overtaking or driver fatigue.

Law enforcement operations were intensified throughout the Easter period, resulting in the arrest of more than 300 motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol. Officials believe these interventions helped prevent further fatalities by removing high-risk drivers from the roads.

Nqatha said the department would analyse the data from the Easter period to identify areas needing improvement.

“Road safety is an everyday responsibility,” he said.

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