The DA has submitted a written request to the chairpersons of the portfolio committees of Roads and Public Works and Transport, Safety and Liaison, to convene a joint meeting with the respective departments in conjunction with Sanral, as well as all relevant municipalities, so that a comprehensive approach to road safety along the R31 can be taken.
Government’s failure to increase road safety along the R31 and branching roads is aggravating the unnecessary and tragic loss of lives on what is notoriously known as the “road of death”.
On Sunday, ten people died and eleven were injured in two separate accidents along the R31 route in Danielskuil and Kathu respectively. These are not isolated accidents. In February, 13 people were injured when a minibus overturned. In September last year, seven people were killed on the R31 in close vicinity of Kuruman, in a head-on collision. The list goes on.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has addressed our concerns on various platforms, including legislature portfolio committee meetings. Harold McGluwa, Provincial Leader, even raised the matter in a previous debate on the State of the Province Address.
Last month, the DA again wrote to the Northern Cape MEC of Roads, Fufe Makatong, appealing to her to seriously consider the placement of speedbumps at all intersections along this road, after another fatal road accident on the connected N14 Kathu-road. We received no feedback.
The R31 route is largely utilized by heavy manganese trucks from mines in the Northern Cape to harbours. This has aggravated potholes and worsened road safety conditions, given narrow lanes and shoulders.
We note that portions of the R31 have recently been taken over by the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral), which has announced an allocation of billions of rands towards road maintenance and construction projects. We also welcome the completion of Transnet’s Mamathwane crossing loop, which should take thousands of heavy manganese trucks off our roads. While this will contribute to improved road safety conditions, it doesn’t absolve government from implementing long-outstanding road safety features.
It is time to pull out all the stops to save lives on this road.