M7 horrors continue as officials vow to take action

Motorists and residents alike are calling for major safety improvements to be implemented on the notorious M7 Highway in the hopes of preventing the horrific crashes witnessed on a daily basis. Over the past two weeks, more than a dozen incidents have occurred on the roadway, leading to the deaths of multiple individuals.

On Wednesday afternoon, emergency services responded to a multiple-truck and vehicle crash on the M7 towards the Bluff near the N2 intersection.

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Spokesperson for ALS Paramedics, Garrith Jamieson, said, “Upon arrival, paramedics found chaos and carnage as they found that a truck carrying what is believed to be copper plates had somehow lost control and collided with approximately four vehicles before overturning onto a light motor vehicle. Paramedics assessed the scene and found the truck driver entrapped in the wreckage, as well as the vehicle driver, who the truck landed on, entrapped in the wreckage. Immediately, the eThekwini Fire Department was dispatched to assist. Two other occupants had sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene. The fire department used the Jaws of Life to cut the truck driver free. He was transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries. Rescue personnel then had to use a heavy-duty tow truck to lift the trailer and load of copper off the vehicle. Once access had been gained, paramedics found that a female, believed to have been in her 50s, had sustained fatal injuries. There was unfortunately nothing more paramedics could do for her, and she was declared dead at the scene.”

Among the clips which were shared on social media of the incident, one included a disturbing angle with an individual filming the truck driver while he was trapped in the crushed remains of the cab.

MEC for Transport and Human Settlements in KwaZulu-Natal, Siboniso Duma, released a statement the following day, while speaking on a shack fire that left 246 families displaced at the Quarry Road informal settlement.

“A fire, alleged to have started in a shack owned by a foreign national, destroyed their shacks and left them, including children, homeless. We thank God that nobody died or was injured in this fire. We remain worried about the tendency of foreign nationals who disappear after causing a crisis. We have cases of undocumented foreign drivers who have, in the past, disappeared after causing horrific accidents along the N3 that resulted in the death of innocent people. We pause to express our deepest condolences to the family of a female victim who died in a horrific crash involving a Zambian-registered truck. Several other people were injured when the Zambian truck driver lost control and crashed his truck into several cars on the M7/N2 Interchange in Durban. Lastly, we will never turn a blind eye to concerns raised by residents regarding undocumented foreign nationals. Flowing from above, we have agreed to extend the #NenzaniLaEzweni Operation to Human Settlements,” MEC Duma said.

On Thursday, news of yet another serious incident was reported. Malvern CPF chairperson, Kevin Pillay, shared more details.

“A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Shortly after, representatives from the company owning the vehicle arrived on site and upon witnessing the scene, one of their members collapsed and also sadly passed away. In a further tragic development, a Metro Police officer, who was assisting with traffic control at the scene, was struck by a vehicle while flagging motorists. She has sustained serious injuries and was transported to hospital for urgent medical attention. Our deepest condolences are extended to the families of the deceased during this difficult time. We also extend our thoughts and prayers to our Metro Police colleague and wish her a full and speedy recovery,” he said.

Pillay explained that meetings have been held behind the scenes, with visible, concrete results, however, more needs to be done for the best results.

“After engagements with Metro Police, we noticed far more enforcement. Unfortunately, this is not sustainable. They are under-resourced, but we have people like Col Ndlovu, who really try to make the M7 a safer place to drive. It is a challenge for them to man off-ramps, truck stops, and so on. From our side, we are looking for the road to be ‘moved’ to SANRAL. It is not a national road, but a provincial road, and these are typically managed by RTI. For some reason, the management of this road falls under Metro Police. We ask for visibility, regular patrols, but between RTI, Metro Police, and SAPS, they might have only one vehicle at a time. If we can get it to SANRAL, being a national road, maybe it will get more attention, but we do not know if that will happen or not, or whether it will take another 20 people dying. They are very quick to tell us that the M7 is a main artery to the port, but who does that benefit? It does not benefit us as road users – it benefits the economy or whoever else- those trucks are supposed to be on the N3 and N2. Just between the Malvern corridors, I would say that most of the accidents are caused by the foreign-owned trucks. From what I have been told by members of law enforcement, these trucks leave two weeks prior, and by the time they get to us, those trucks are due for maintenance, especially the brakes. Now, when they reach the downhill stretch, their brakes cannot make it. If you use the N3 or N2, there is no steep decline like on the M7. We are offering to assist Metro at one of the four on/off-ramps from Tuesday. The Department of Transport will never fix this road – they cannot even afford to cut the bush. We have also made an application to have an interfaith prayer, with officials from the relevant departments, where we will shut the freeway down for an hour. We need divine intervention with the number of lives that we are losing,” he stated.

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He concluded by highlighting that immediate intervention is required.

“We appreciate what law enforcement is currently doing, but it is not sustainable, so we are asking for better lighting, speed cameras, and signs. I tell people, if you can avoid the M7, do it, especially when it is raining and at peak hours,” he concluded.