Frank Maponya

Frank Maponya

Preliminary statistics of road fatalities over the Easter holidays indicate there were at least 26 deaths in Limpopo.

Though the provincial department of roads and transport would not release the official statistics, saying they were still consulting with the national department of roads, Sowetan has reliably learnt that there were no less than 26 deaths on Limpopo roads.

These figures were recorded between last Thursday and yesterday.

Last year's Easter holidays death toll stood at 41.

Limpopo department of roads and transport spokesperson Selby Makgotho said yesterday that the official statistics would only be released once they had been confirmed by the national department, at the latest by tomorrow .

"We can only confirm that speed and travelling in unroadworthy vehicles have been identified as the main contributing factors towards the fatalities on our roads.

"We are hopeful that this year's statistics are lower compared to last year's .

"We also believe our law enforcement officers have done their bit in making sure that motorists and pedestrians obeyed the rules of the road."

By late yesterday, traffic congestion on the roads leaving the Limpopo capital had levelled off.

Most of the people who had visited the province either as church congregants at the Zion Christian Church or other church services had gone back to their homes and places of work on Monday.