KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport‚ Community Safety and Liaison Willies Mchunu‚ on Wednesday announced tight security measures ahead of the annual Reed Dance ceremony scheduled to take place at eNyokeni Palace in KwaNongoma.

The announcement follows the death of at least 65 women who were killed in an accident on the Mbabane-Manzini highway in Swaziland on Friday. They were on their way to this year’s Reed Dance festival in Swaziland.

“The security measures include the assessment of all buses and taxis that will be transporting maidens and the deployment of more than 650 traffic officers from the Road Traffic Inspectorate and various municipalities across the province‚ plus more than 291 traffic vehicles‚” according to a statement from the MEC’s office..

 The measures would also include random alcohol testing centres along the route.

“Thousands of maidens are expected to attend the Reed Dance ceremony in which Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini KaBhekuzulu delivers his a message on moral regeneration and self-preservation.

“MEC Mchunu has further ordered that there should be no vehicle that arrives in eNyokeni Palace without being subjected to thorough test and assessment. He has also called on owners of buses and taxis‚ especially those coming from far-flung areas‚ to provide back-up drivers.”

Mchunu said‚ “It is very important that we prioritised the safety of our people as no price tag can be attached to the value of our people’s lives. All stakeholders must work with us to make the celebration of this important heritage an accident-free one.

“We have directed all law enforcement agencies to make sure that all vehicles are stopped and checked. We have also ordered them to ensure that no driver will arrive nor leave eNyokeni palace without being tested for alcohol. We call on all road users to be extra cautious and exercise patience.”

The MEC said hotlines had been set up “where passengers and other road users can report any misdemeanours by drivers”.

“Our key message is that our communities are our eyes and ears‚ and they must not keep quite when people are drinking and driving. If you drink you don’t drive and if you drive you don’t drink‚ this is the message we are sending to all road users.”

The integrated law enforcement operations would focus on public transport‚ passenger overloading‚ driver and vehicle licenses‚ drunken driving‚ seatbelts‚ roadworthiness tests and other traffic violations.

Roads leading to eNyonkeni‚ mainly those perceived as accident hotspots‚ would receive special attention. These include the R66 between uLundi and KwaNongoma‚ R618 between KwaNongoma and KwaHlabisa‚ R618 between KwaNongoma and Vryheid‚ and the R66 between KwaNongoma and Phongolo.

“We wish to appeal strongly to all our people to adhere to all traffic regulations. We reiterate our position that safety on the road is our collective responsibility‚” said Mchunu.