A devastating road accident on the R518 at Mosesetjane cross in the Waterberg district has claimed five lives, leaving two people seriously injured, four critically injured, and one with minor injuries.
The crash occurred at 11.22am on Wednesday on the Mokopane to Marken Road in the Mogalakwena area.
Matome Taueatsoala, spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety, said according to preliminary investigations, a Hyundai Light Delivery Vehicle lost control and collided with a bridge, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries.
The R518 has been temporarily closed as emergency services work to clear the scene.
“Motorists are advised to plan alternative routes and exercise extreme caution. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available,” Taueatsoala added.
Limpopo braces for festive season traffic surge
The accident comes as Limpopo’s traffic authorities prepare for a significant increase in vehicles on provincial roads during the festive season.
Tshiwandalani Allen Matsila, Head of Limpopo Traffic Police at the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety, earlier in the day updates on congestion management readiness across the province’s cities and towns.
Matsila confirmed that the province is expecting more than 700 buses to arrive in Moria starting Tuesday afternoon for the ZCC Christmas Services, with departures scheduled for 26 December.
He said the province is expecting a significant increase in traffic and that, as a department, they are working with law enforcement, local municipalities, and the National Traffic Police (NTP) according to a coordinated plan to ensure they are fully prepared.
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Coordinated traffic management across Limpopo
Matsila explained that border management has been effectively handled since the beginning of the festive season, ensuring free traffic flow towards border areas.
He highlighted several towns expecting significant traffic volumes, including Makhado, Thulamela, and Collins Chabane. “We are expecting a huge volume of traffic that will be getting into our towns,” Matsila noted.
He added that Giyani’s town entrance and internal movement would also see increased activity.
Other areas of concern include Tzaneen, Phalaborwa, Nkowankowa area.
The department is paying particular attention to potential congestion points, including Beggarsford Road, the R37 leading into towns such as Jane Furse, and other areas within the Sekhukhune District Municipality.
Furthermore, the town of Mogalakwena, in the Mogalakwena Municipality under Mokopane, and the provincial capital, Polokwane, are also under close monitoring.
“Now we are at Mankweng, you can see that Paledi Mall is highly congested as well, but we have deployed even our EPW officers on the N11 as well around Mankweng,” Matsila said.
He confirmed that officers were actively managing traffic flow in the area.
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Pedestrian safety remains a priority
Beyond vehicular traffic management, authorities are focusing on pedestrian safety at identified hotspots where lives have previously been lost.
Law enforcement officers have been stationed at these locations to assist pedestrians.
“We are making this call to all our pedestrians to make sure that they are safe when they want to cross our roads so that we don’t continue to lose lives on our roads,” Matsila urged.
The traffic chief also acknowledged support from the provincial political leadership under Premier Phophi Ramathuba.
He said the premier had agreed to deploy resources across all levels of government to monitor deployments and provide guidance.
“From local authorities up to the provincial level, we are now together expecting that they will be monitoring all our deployments, and we will be listening to their advice to make sure that this province continues to be safe throughout,” Matsila concluded.
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