KZN government to continue with support for N2 fatal accident-affected families
KZN government to continue with support for N2 fatal accident-affected families
KZN Social Development MEC Mbali Shinga has commended departmental officials for their tireless efforts in providing support to the grieving families of the nine victims who lost their lives in last weekend's devastating accident.
The horrific accident occurred on Sunday morning on the N2 freeway's northbound carriageway.
ALSO READ: N2 crash death toll rises to 9
A heavy-duty tow truck collided with a Hyundai H-100 bakkie that was transporting 24 Intanthakusa Church of Zion members home to Mtubatuba.
Upon learning of the tragic incident, Shinga swiftly deployed a team of social workers from the department to provide psycho-social support to the affected families, ensuring they receive the necessary care and guidance during this difficult time.
Eight church members died at the scene, and one died at Ngwelezana Hospital the following day.
'Our team has been providing ongoing support to the families, and we are pleased with the high level of commitment shown on the ground, working closely with the affected families.
'We will continue to walk this journey with them until they are able to stand on their own. We have also provided social relief of distress to ease their burden.
'We commend our dedicated team and everyone involved for their compassion and commitment,' said Shinga.
The MEC further expressed concern over the devastating impact of road crashes on families, noting that 7 of the victims were females – mostly mothers – which means children will now grow up without their mothers' love and care.
'The coincidence of the accident occurring on Mother's Day adds a poignant layer to the tragedy. It's a heartbreaking reminder of the preciousness of life and the impact on families.'
As the families prepare to bid farewell to their loved ones this Sunday, Shinga reaffirmed the department's commitment to working closely with them beyond the funeral, focusing on restoring their social well-being and providing ongoing support,' she said.
Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here:
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter or TikTok
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp – 060 784 2695
Instagram – zululand_observer
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
South Africa's shift to digital IDs gains momentum amid high green ID book fraud
As South Africa adopts digital IDs to combat identity fraud, enhance security and reduce fraudulent activities, research has revealed that efforts to replace outdated green ID books with secure smart ID cards are gaining momentum. According to the Smile ID 2025 Fraud in Africa Report, the green ID books, historically vulnerable due to weak security features, recorded Africa's highest fraud rate in 2023, at 34%. ALSO READ: WATCH: Home Affairs brings services closer to the community The report further states that in March 2024, fraud rates for green ID books were 500% higher than for smart ID cards, validating the shift to the more secure system. Moreover, fraud targets Africa's most common identity documents: driver's licences followed at 24%, driven by their frequent use across formal and informal contexts, increasing their exposure to misuse. However, passports, often perceived as more secure owing to stricter issuance protocols, showed a fraud rate of 20%. The 'others' category, including work permits and alien cards, accounted for 19%, while voter IDs had the lowest fraud rate, at 14%. These findings highlight the diverse vulnerabilities across ID types, with national IDs remaining the most at risk due to their ubiquity. While passports and other specialised documents like work permits have lower fraud rates, their misuse often involves high-stakes activities such as international travel or employment fraud, with significant financial and reputational risks. Monthly Fraud Trends by Region (Biometric and Document Fraud): January marked a peak for east and southern Africa, while December saw west and central Africa reach their highest fraud rates. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Motorist awarded R26. 6m after pothole accident leaves her paraplegic
A North West Province woman who is left a paraplegic after her car hit a pothole and overturned, is set to receive R26.6m in damages from the province's roads department. Image: File A pothole in the North West Province will cost the MEC of the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport more than R26.6 million after a motorist was involved in an accident when she drove through the pothole, which left her a paraplegic. The North West High Court, sitting in Mahikeng, ordered the department about three months ago to pay this amount to the plaintiff, only identified as Beauty. However, the department has to date not yet paid up. Her attorney, Righardt Bezuidenhout, said the department promised that it would pay by Wednesday. However, by the time of publication, she had not yet been paid. Bezuidenhout had obtained an order to attach the assets of the provincial department, to sell at auction in a bid to receive payment. The department, in the meantime, promised to make the payment to avoid its assets being sold at public auction. Bezuidenhout earlier managed to secure an order against the provincial department after proving that the pothole was the cause of the accident, in which Beauty was left a paraplegic. She lost control of her car in 2014 when she hit the massive pothole on a public road, and her vehicle overturned. The provincial department was held responsible as it was proved to have been negligent for not fixing the pothole earlier. The court was told that the pothole had been there for some time and that it was fixed a few days after the accident. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The provincial department was held 100% liable for the damages she could prove she had suffered as a result of the accident. Beauty was a highly functional nurse prior to the accident, but she is now left helpless and needs around-the-clock assistance. During the second leg of the court case earlier this year, a host of experts were called in a bid to determine how much compensation Beauty should receive. The damages claimed by her were for past medical expenses, future medical expenses, loss of earnings, and general damages. In determining her damages, Deputy Judge President Tebogo Djaje considered the fact that Beauty was employed as a professional nurse at the time of the accident. She had been in service for approximately 25 years. Since the accident, she has not been employed and was medically boarded in 2016. She will not be able to return to work as she presents with a physical impairment of 77%, according to the orthopaedic surgeon. Apart from being wheelchair-bound, she uses an indwelling catheter as well as nappies and is completely dependent on her daughter for assistance. The only physical activity that she can do is gardening to a limited degree. According to the experts, the plaintiff will require extensive future treatment. Apart from spinal injuries, she also suffered a hip fracture, as well as shoulder and rib fractures. Her injuries further left her with several scars, and she lost four of her front teeth.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Teen moms avoid healthcare amid fears of reporting rape, discloses KZN health MEC
The health of teen moms and their babies hangs in the balance as young rape victims are too scared to access formal healthcare when giving birth. This was revealed by KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane, who said this is owing to the laws compelling those in authority to report the rape. ALSO READ: KZN Health MEC places cervical cancer prevention in spotlight Speaking at a meeting of the Provincial Council on Aids in Durban last Thursday, Simelane expressed her deep concern over the growing number of teenage and child pregnancies, particularly those involving adult men. 'This issue is both a health crisis and a social justice emergency that requires urgent intervention,' she said. 'This puts young girls at high risk, especially when they are forced to give birth in unsafe conditions. South African law defines statutory rape as any sexual activity with a person under the age of 16, and makes the reporting of such cases to law enforcement mandatory.' Simelane believes that an urgent and collaborative dialogue involving parents, traditional leaders, civil society and the government is needed to decisively address this disturbing pattern. 'I want to make a proposal that we lead from the front in combatting this crisis. We need to come together and deal with this matter head on because these activities are happening right where we are. Children get pregnant in our societies in our communities. 'Unless we talk about it and act decisively, we will continue to see young lives destroyed. We are raising a broken generation if we remain silent.' Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
