Driver hauling musicians to festival busted at 172km/h
The department welcomed the arrest of a Zimbabwean national who was allegedly caught driving at 172km/h in a 120km/h zone.
With institutions of higher learning and schools closing for the winter holidays, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport says its Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) teams are on high alert.
The department welcomed the arrest of a Zimbabwean national who was allegedly caught driving at 172km/h in a 120km/h zone while transporting Afro-pop artists Fanatic SA and Stalin.
According to the department, the driver told officers that “the artists were late for their performance at the beach festival in Umtwalume.”
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The driver is expected to appear in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said South Africa had lost many young musicians, soccer players and other young professionals in road crashes over the years.
“Flowing from the above, on Youth Day, 16 June 2026, we set a target of reducing road accidents and fatalities involving young people during this winter season,” Duma said.
He said fatalities involving young people were often linked to speeding, drinking and driving, and increased night-time travel.
Duma said the rollout of Operation #NenzaniLaEzweni was informed by a report from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), which found that an average of 1,044 young people had died on South Africa’s roads each year over the past four years.
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The report found that:
- Most fatalities occurred over long weekends, particularly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the evening and early morning hours.
- Young people between the ages of 20 and 39 accounted for more than half of all daily road deaths.
The department also cited figures from the Road Accident Fund (RAF), which showed that over the past five years:
- 43.5% of personal injury claims were submitted by young people aged between 15 and 35, amounting to 70,743 claims.
- A further 15,227 claims involved children under the age of 15.