Road Accident Claims the Life of North West SAPS Constable, SA Mourns

• The South African Police Service mourned the loss of one of their members who died in an accident
• The officer and her colleagues were returning from a crime scene when a flat tyre caused their car to overturn
• She was declared dead on the scene and her colleagues were admitted to hospital; South Africans were saddened by the death

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather and natural disaster-related incidents at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for seven years.

MOOINOOI, NORTH WEST — A South African Police Service member died and five others were injured in an accident in Mooinooi, North West on 25 January 2025.

SAPS member dies in accident

According to the South African Police Service, the officer, a 32-year-old Constable, was returning from a crime scene with her colleague. They returned from responding to a hijacking incident where four people were left abandoned next to the road.

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The constable, her colleague and the four hijacking victims were travelling in a Toyota Hilux state vehicle on their way back to Mooinooi Police Station when the car got a flat tyre, causing it to overturn. The Emergency and Medical Rescue Services declared her dead on the scene, and the other passengers were taken to hospitals for treatment.

Accidents in 2024

• Six children were among the eight people who died when a bus overturned in the Eastern Cape on 1 December
• A truck collided with multiple vehicles on the N3 in KwaZulu-Natal in the same month, killing one person
• 11 people perished on the N2 when a taxi collided with a bakkie on 22 December

South Africans saddened

South Africans on Facebook conveyed their condolences and shared their views on the accident.

Blessing Blessing said:

"SAPS fleet management and the garages are not doing justice to the members. Vehicles aren't serviced properly."

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Ofentse Bokaba said:

"Condolences. That area is dominated by spikes on the roads, and that could be one of the reasons."

Monwabisi Waxa said:

"The service of the SAPS garage is very poor. Maybe they hired people with no qualifications."

Daniel Sibiya said:

"I wish the family could sue the state because obviously, the vehicle didn't have good tyres."

Zakithi Bawelile Khoza said:

"She was such a dedicated member of the force."

Department of Transport shares festive season stats

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Department of Transport's festive season accident statistics revealed that tais were involved in more than half of the accidents on the road. KwaZulu-Natal had the highest fatalities.

The department revealed that more than 1500 people died from over 1000 fatal accidents. Speaking to Briefly News, Arrive Alive's CEO Johan Jonck said it is possible that vehicle fitness, roadworthiness and overloading could have contributed to the figures.

Source: Briefly News