By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The N4 toll road has been reopened following a deadly head-on collision occurred in the early hours of Saturday, 27 December 2025, between Belfast and Machadodorp in Mpumalanga.
The collision, involving two sedans – an Audi and a Honda – claimed the lives of seven people, six men and one woman. One additional occupant sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital in Belfast.
The department of transport said investigations are underway, but it is suspected that excessive speed and dangerous overtaking could have caused the accident.
Jackie Macie, the Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, urged motorists to be vigilant on the roads. He stressed the need for caution when driving at night, as visibility is reduced.
“We are again appealing to motorists to be extremely vigilant, especially at night when visibility is reduced. Roads are shared spaces and drivers must do all in their might to prevent needless loss of life from deadly crashes,” he said.
Macie also offered his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wished the injured person a swift recovery.
Meanwhile Transport Minister Barbara Creecy says the start of the 2025 festive season has recorded fewer fatal crashes than last year, with 505 deaths so far, but she has expressed concern that the average of 32 fatalities per day remains unacceptably high.
Creecy was briefing the media in the Western Cape on Friday, December 19, during a mid-term review of the 2025 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign, which began at the start of December.
She said preliminary data show a positive downward trend in road fatalities compared with the same period last year.
“There is a decrease in the number of deaths this year. At this stage of the 2025 festive season, early road fatalities have declined compared to the same period last year, “Creecy said.
According to preliminary reports, fatal crashes declined by 20.9% and fatalities by 20.8% during the period December 1 to 16, following intensified law enforcement, road safety education and public messaging.