Ten people died when a taxi burst into flames in Mthatha on Wednesday, Eastern Cape police said.
Superintendent Mzukisi Fatyela said the taxi hit a bakkie at an intersection before slamming into a cement wall.
”It caught alight and 10 people who were trapped inside burnt to death.”
Eight were adults and two were children.
Four others managed to jump out of the burning vehicle and were taken to hospital with critical injuries. No one in the bakkie was injured.
Fatyela said it was unknown which driver was at fault.
Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele sent his condolences to the families and warned motorists to obey road rules or ”face the full might of the law”.
”As we head into the September school holidays, traffic volumes on the roads will increase …”
”We have instructed all law-enforcement agencies to intensify their enforcement programme for the school holidays, especially targeting mini-bus taxis and other public transport vehicles.”
He said there would be a zero-tolerance approach to all traffic offences.
Ndebele also urged public transport operators to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy, as the lives of innocent commuters were at risk.
Since Monday, he said, 20 people were killed in taxi accidents.
”Road safety is a key priority of our government. But we also know that the onus for reducing the carnage on our roads must rest with the road users themselves. This is real crime,” he said.
”One death on our roads is one too many.” — Sapa