Durban — Police in Ntuzuma are investigating a case of culpable homicide after a 26-year-old woman was killed after she drove into a bridge that collapsed during the April floods last year.
That was according to police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda who said the incident happened on Hesane Road, Newtown, in Inanda, in the early hours on Saturday.
KZN VIP Protection Services spokesperson Gareth Naidoo said KZN VIP medics responded to the scene after residents heard the crash and called for assistance.
“Sadly there was nothing that could be done to save the Howard College student,” Naidoo said.
He said the roadway is the link road to Ntuzuma access which was a daily route for road users.
In a statement, the EFF in KwaZulu-Natal said newly appointed chairperson of eThekwini Municipality’s human settlements and infrastructure, Themba Mvubu, was quickly on site to check why the road was not barricaded to avoid any vehicles from passing through.
Mvubu was with the family of the deceased on-site and apologised for the loss of life. He committed to speedy interventions to fix this road now that the EFF has the responsibility of infrastructure in the eThekwini metro.
“The EFF will further probe with the municipal officials as to who must be held responsible for this tragic incident. Someone did not do their job and there must be accountability,” the statement read.
eThekwini residents have raised questions about barricades.
Tman Xhuma said this was pure negligence by officials of the municipality; individuals must account for this.
Sakhile Sikhakhane said: “This is very sad. I'm living near Nhlungwane. It is such a disgrace to see a horrible incident like this in our ward. We can't put a fault on anyone else because the road was blocked by sand and concrete to prevent cars from crossing the devastated bridge. Perhaps this incident was meant by God to happen.”
Thandeka Nozipho Kunene said: “Sad how life has to be lost for such action to be taken to get this fixed ... It's exactly a year since this road (has been) like this; we are really suffering as residents and no action nor any updates are made about the road situation in and around the INK area …”
MrsBafo Gumede said that only one side was barricaded and the other not.
“My question is why?”
More in the Daily News on Tuesday.
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