A Giant Pothole on the R369 between Philipstown and Hanover in the Northern Cape this week the claims the lives of two truck drivers. This is after the local government has been repeatedly asked to actually improve the poor condition of the road.
The driver of one vehicle, a truck and a trailer loaded with iron ore, allegedly lost control of his vehicle when it hit the pothole. It then collided with the second vehicle, which according to photos from the accident scene belonged to the Graintrans company in Koffiefontein in the Free State.
The R369 is the route along which trucks transport iron ore from the mining areas in the Kathu-Postmasburg area to the Koega export port in Port Elizabeth.
Photos distributed on social media show the distorted wreckage of the trucks on a straight stretch of tar road, directly after a pothole at least 2 m long and 20 cm deep on the surface. Immediately after the pothole, there are brake marks showing that the truck and trailer swerved back and forth before hitting the oncoming delivery vehicle. It eventually came to a standstill in the field.
Dr. Wynand Boshoff, the FF Plus’ provincial leader in the Northern Cape, said the police spokesman in Philipstown could not confirm the accident, although they should have known. “In Hanover, police responded that they knew about the accident, but that it happened in the Philipstown area.”
Boshoff believes the police’s evasion of inquiries is probably due to the poor road condition repeatedly reported at various levels of government. He says it has also been claimed for several years that this road is the preferred route for trucks because no weighing equipment is available to police overload.
“Nevertheless, there are numerous bridges owned by farmers and agricultural companies that could be used for this purpose,” Boshoff said. “Due to overloading and a road that is neglected and not maintained, it is dangerous for locals as well as the peas to live there.”
Engelbrecht says the matter is already with the prime minister of the Northern Cape, Dr. Zamani Saul, discussed, but apart from media reports, none of this has come to light.
