Pretoria - Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele has issued a stern warning to reckless and unlicensed drivers following a weekend of death on the country's roads.
At least 30 people died throughout the country in various accidents.
One of the most horrific took place in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday, where 19 people were killed and seven others critically injured.
According the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport, the driver of the bakkie failed to negotiate a bend and collided head-on with the mini-bus taxi in Franklin near Kokstad.
A total of 18 people were declared dead on the scene. Seven people were injured and taken to Usher Memorial Hospital, where one person died later.
Another six people were killed in KwaZulu-Natal, taking the death toll in the province to 25.
In another accident, four people were killed and another four injured in a head-on collision on the road between Clarens and Fouriesburg in the Free State on Saturday.
In Johannesburg, 15-year-old Mpho Nyembe from Alexandra was killed in a road crash on Friday after being hit by an allegedly drunk and unlicensed teenager, who had taken his parents' vehicle without their permission.
Those injured in the accident included five learners, a woman with a toddler strapped on her back and her 10-year-old son. Nyembe, a grade 11 student, died on the scene.
Ndebele said Nyembe's death was an unnecessary waste of life. He said government -through the Road Accident Fund - will assist the family with the funeral.
"It is this type of illegal behaviour on our roads that makes us very angry. We must legally remove such drivers from our roads. This 16-year-old did not only steal his parents' vehicle but was also drunk and unlicensed. This was mindless, reckless and stupid," said Ndebele.
The minister labelled traffic violations as a "crime that continues to rob us of our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children."
He called on citizens to work together and do everything to make our roads safe, adding that unlawful drivers will face the consequences of their actions.
"We want to warn road users who commit offences that they will be arrested and detained and will have enough time during their detention to contemplate their unlawful action. As government, our duty is remove unsafe drivers from our roads," Ndebele said.
He has expressed condolences to the families of those killed.
