By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
A mother and her baby were killed after being struck by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi’s official vehicle while crossing the N1 near Bela-Bela in Limpopo.
Preliminary investigations indicate that a woman was attempting to cross the highway with her two children, one of whom was strapped to her back, when they were struck by the Minister’s vehicle.
According to South African Police Services (SAPS) National Spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, the incident involving the Minister’s official vehicle occurred on Saturday, 9 May 2026. The state vehicle was being driven by a member of the Protection Security Services (PSS) at the time of the collision.
Mathe said the family had been trying to reach the scene of an earlier accident on the same stretch of road, where the woman’s husband had allegedly been struck and killed by a vehicle driven by an off-duty police officer.
The mother and her baby sustained fatal injuries in the second collision and were declared dead.
The second child survived, although authorities have not yet disclosed details about the child’s condition.
She said the Minister, his close protection officer and the driver of the official vehicle stopped immediately after the accident and remained at the scene until emergency services and police arrived.
Authorities have opened two separate culpable homicide cases as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding both accidents.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has taken over the investigation because both drivers involved in the incidents are members of the SAPS.
The police extended condolences to the bereaved family as investigations continue into what appears to be a night of cascading catastrophe on one of South Africa’s busiest highways.
Meanwhile the Democratic Alliance (DA) called on the Departments of Health and Social Development to urgently ensure that the child receives immediate psychosocial support and trauma counselling during this profoundly difficult time.
The DA further called for a full, independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding both incidents, including the conduct of all drivers involved, the speed of the Minister’s vehicle, and whether blue lights were being used.