SANTACO mourns lives lost in recent road tragedies and calls for safer roads

The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) has expressed deep sorrow following a series of tragic road accidents this week that have claimed twenty two lives across South Africa.

The first accident occurred on Sunday, 26 October 2025, when seven people were killed in a collision between a minibus taxi and an SUV on the road between Dullstroom and Belfast in Mpumalanga. The taxi was transporting passengers from Limpopo to Gauteng when the accident happened.

Three days later, on Wednesday, 29 October 2025, another seven lives were lost in Bassonia, south of Johannesburg, after a minibus taxi collided with a bakkie. The collision happened in the early morning hours, leaving several others injured and causing a major traffic backlog in the area.

The most recent and deadliest crash happened on Thursday, 30 October 2025, when eight people were killed and several others injured in a collision involving a minibus taxi and a delivery truck on the N3 highway between Van Reenen’s Pass and Montrose in the Free State.

The victims in the N3 accident were women travelling from Virginia in the Free State to Durban in KwaZulu Natal for a holiday. Free State Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Sipho Towa said that emergency teams were called to the scene around 4:40am.

“On arrival at the scene, it was discovered that a minibus taxi collided with a light delivery truck. Unfortunately, eight people were declared dead on the scene and six others were taken to a nearby hospital with moderate injuries,” Towa said.

He added that law enforcement officers and accident investigation teams were conducting a full investigation. “There is an ongoing cleanup operation and law enforcement is still investigating the cause. The road has been closed for traffic,” Towa said.

KwaZulu Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma confirmed the accident and said an investigation had been launched. “As we wrap up Transport Month, we are saddened by the death of people in a horrific accident on the N3 Van Reenen Pass between KwaZulu Natal and the Free State. Our Road Traffic Inspectorate and the SAPS Accident Unit have started an investigation to determine the cause,” Duma said.

He added that the N3 Toll Concession had temporarily closed the road to allow emergency services to operate safely. “Consequently, there is traffic congestion between Van Reenen and Swinburne. We request motorists to be patient and exercise extra caution,” Duma said.

SANTACO President Motlhabane Abnar Tsebe said the organisation was heartbroken by the increasing number of road fatalities and called for stronger safety measures. “These incidents are a painful reminder that road safety is a collective responsibility. We are committed to leading from the front in rebuilding trust and prioritising safety. Every life lost is one too many,” he said.

SANTACO extended condolences to all the affected families and promised to intensify its Hlokomela road safety and driver conduct programmes. The organisation said it would strengthen compliance checks, accelerate driver education in all provinces, and work closely with law enforcement to improve accountability.