Tuesday, August 15, 2023
Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga has expressed her deep regret and sadness at the loss of life resulting from a collision between two vehicles on the N2 near Tsitsikamma in the Eastern Cape.
“It is with a heavy heart that Minister Chikunga extends her deep condolences to the families and loved ones of the six individuals who tragically lost their lives in this devastating incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time of grief and sorrow,” the Ministry of Transport said on Tuesday.
The Minister extended her wishes for a speedy recovery to the two individuals – believed to be from Switzerland – who sustained injuries in the accident.
“We wish them a speedy recovery and return to marvelous health.”
The Minister emphasises the importance of vigilance and alertness among all road users to prevent such tragic accidents from occurring.
“Every life lost on our roads is one too many, and we must all hold responsibility for ensuring the safety of ourselves and others,” the Ministry of Transport said.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) will conduct a thorough investigation to establish the cause of this accident.
The Ministry of Transport said it remains committed to continuously improving road infrastructure and enforcement of traffic regulations.
“Minister Chikunga urges all road users to exercise caution, comply to traffic laws, and prioritise safety while traveling. It is essential that we all work together to create a culture of responsible and conscientious driving, ensuring the well-being and protection of everyone on our roads.
“The Minister would like to remind the public that the Department of Transport, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, will continue to intensify efforts to enforce road safety measures, with a particular focus on reducing road accidents and fatalities,” the Ministry of Transport said. –SAnews.gov.za

Light Despair
Diary of an Englishman after he moves to South Africa….
**August 1**: Just got transferred with work from London, UK to our new home in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa. Now this is a town that knows how to live! Beautiful, sunny days and warm, balmy evenings. I watched the sunset from a deckchair by our pool yesterday. It was beautiful. I’ve finally found my new home. I love it here.
**September 1:** Really heating up now. It got to 31 today. No problem though. Living in air-conditioned home, driving air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun every day like this. I’m turning into a sun-worshipper – no blasted rain like back in London! Had the back yard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and rocks. No more mowing lawns for me! Another scorcher today, but I love it here. It’s Paradise !
**October 1:** The temperature hasn’t been below 35 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least today it’s windy though. Keeps the flies off a bit. Acclimatizing is taking longer than we expected. Fell asleep by the pool yesterday. Got third degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed three days off work. What a dumb thing to do. Got to respect the old sun in a climate like this!
**October 25:** This wind is a bastard. It feels like a giant fucking blow dryer. And it’s hot as hell! The home air conditioner is on the blink and the repair man charged R200 just to drive over and tell me he needs to order parts from @#$# Johannesburg. The wife & the kids are complaining.
**October 30:** The temperature’s up around 40 and the parts still haven’t arrived for the fucking air conditioner. House is an oven so we’ve all been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. Bleeding R4 million house and we can’t even go inside. Why the hell did I ever come here?
**November 4:** Finally got the fucking air-conditioner fixed. It cost R1,500 and gets the temperature down to around 35 degrees. Stupid repairman. Fucking thief. If one more smart bastard says ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I’m going to fucking throttle him. Fucking heat! By the time I get to work, the car radiator is boiling over, my fucking clothes are soaking fucking wet and I smell like baked cat. Fucking place is the end of the Earth.
**November 9:** Tried to run some errands after work, wore shorts, and sat on the black leather upholstery in my car. I thought my fucking backside was on fire. I lost 2 layers of flesh, all the hair on the backs of my legs and off my fucking behind. Now the car smells like burnt hair, fried bum and baked cat. The Weather report might as well be a fucking recording – hot and sunny. Hot and sunny, Hot and fucking sunny. It’s been too hot to do anything for 2 bleeding months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Fuck!!
**November 15:** Doesn’t it ever rain in this darn place? Water restrictions will be next, so my R5,000 worth of palms might just dry up and blow into the fucking pool. The only things that thrive in this hell-hole are the fucking flies. You don’t dare open your mouth for fear of swallowing half a dozen of the little buzzards!
**November 20:** Welcome to HELL! It got to 45 degrees today. Now the air conditioner is gone in my car. The repair man came to fix it and said, ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I wanted to shove the car up his backside. Anyway, had to spend the R2,500 of the mortgage payment to bail me out of jail for assaulting the stupid fool. Fucking PHALABORWA! What kind of sick, demented idiot would want to live here!
**December 1:** WHAT!!!! The FIRST day of Summer!!!!
You are fucking kidding me, right?
Evil Smith
Nigeria: You have two cows. You convince an old American woman to invest in them, but pocket the money and run.