With the festive season approaching fast, accidents on the region´s roads are already on the increase.

On Wednesday, November 3, a truck driver died a gruesome death when he lost control of his 18-wheeler freight truck on the N1-North. Heavily loaded with various goods destined for Zimbabwe, the truck overturned and skidded to a halt in the bushes next to the road. The badly mangled remains of the driver were only discovered when rescue personnel started removing the wreckage of the truck and trailer. Louis Trichardt police spokesperson Capt Maano Sadike said that a case of culpable homicide was being investigated. "The driver is a Zimbabwean resident and we still have to identify him," said Capt Sadike.

Two more people were killed in yet another accident on the N1, this time at the Tzaneen turn-off near the Capricorn Toll Plaza. The accident occurred late last Friday evening.Two social workers, Sibongile Hlungwane and Lulama Donald Nkuna, working for the Limpopo Department of Health, were killed on impact when they crashed into a refrigeration truck travelling towards Louis Trichardt. The driver of the truck escaped unharmed.

According to rescue workers on the scene, the two were busy crossing the intersection when they collided with the truck. Police confirmed that Hlungwane was driving the bakkie. Capt Sadike said that a case of culpable homicide was also opened, following this accident. “We suspect that the bakkie Hlungwane and Nkuna were driving might have burst a tyre,” said Capt Sadike.

A spokesperson of the Department of Health, Ms Roleta Lebelo, said that there will be a memorial service for Hlungwane and Nkuna on Thursday at the Giyani Community Hall.

Saturday also proved to be yet another busy day for rescue workers when a truck carrying cooking oil overturned on the N1-North, about 2km from Masekwa Bricks. The truck, which was also travelling to Zimbabwe, overturned when it tried to avoid an oncoming vehicle that was busy overtaking a bus. Rescue workers had to struggle for hours to clear the scene of the accident after the truck had lost most of its cargo.