Pretoria | April 29, 2025 — South Africa’s Transport Ministry has reported a significant decline in Easter weekend road fatalities, dropping from 307 deaths in 2024 to 167 this year. However, the department revealed that 11 of those deaths—about 8.5%—were directly linked to poor road infrastructure, including potholes, broken traffic lights, and damaged pedestrian bridges.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and her deputy, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, shared the updated statistics at a press briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday, highlighting the impact of enhanced law enforcement, strategic roadblocks, and increased public awareness on road safety.
“This year’s improvement is a reflection of proactive planning and heightened visibility,” Creecy said. “Yet the fact that 11 lives were lost due to preventable infrastructure issues is deeply concerning.”
According to the data, the provinces with the highest number of fatalities were Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape, each recording 28 deaths, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 27.
In total, 141 people died on the roads during the four-day Easter period. While infrastructure failings were a contributing factor, Creecy stressed that driver behaviour remains the primary cause of road deaths in the country.
“The issue we want to hammer home is the driver behaviour, which is the primary cause of fatalities,” she said.
Despite the positive downward trend, national traffic operations will continue in full force in an effort to further reduce road deaths and address long-standing issues in infrastructure and driver conduct.