Bushbuckridge, Ehlanzeni – Mpumalanga’s festive season road safety campaign has shown promising results in the Ehlanzeni District, which includes Bushbuckridge, even as the province mourns lives lost elsewhere.

Addressing the province’s 2024/2025 festive season statistics at Protea Hotel in Mbombela, the MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Jackie Macie, MPL, highlighted the impact of coordinated law-enforcement efforts. Ehlanzeni was the only district in the province to record a reduction in road fatalities, with deaths declining from 39 to 33.

The R40, Bushbuckridge’s main thoroughfare, was identified as one of the high-risk routes where eleven lives were lost province-wide, mostly due to speeding, reckless driving, and fatigue. To combat this, authorities increased visibility along key routes, established vehicle checkpoints, and conducted stop-and-search operations, particularly around border-linked areas.

During the festive period, the focus in Ehlanzeni included border-related crime, illegal immigration, and road safety. The operations resulted in 506 arrests, including 43 for illegal immigration and numerous National Road Traffic Act violations.

“Road safety is a shared responsibility,” MEC Macie stressed. “Motorists, passengers, and pedestrians all play a role. Every life lost is one too many.”

The provincial government urges residents of Bushbuckridge and surrounding areas to respect traffic laws, avoid speeding, and speak out against reckless driving to ensure that the R40 and other roads become safer for all.