The Premier of the Free State, Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae, will be visiting the families of eight women who died in a tragic accident on the N3 highway near Harrismith on Thursday, October 30, 2025.
The women were traveling to Durban for a holiday when the minibus taxi they were in collided with a truck, killing them instantly. Several others were injured in the crash.
Letsoha-Mathae expressed her shock and sadness at the incident, describing it as “a terrible accident” and extending her condolences to the affected families.
She confirmed that the government had mobilised medical and psychosocial support for the bereaved families through the social cluster departments, including Social Development and Health.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all the affected families during this difficult time. We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and communities of the deceased.
”We also wish a full and speedy recovery to those who were injured,” she said.
The Premier also urged all road users to exercise caution, patience, and vigilance, especially with the festive season approaching.
“The festive season is fast approaching and unfortunately, that is the time that we see an increase in road carnages.
”My appeal to all the road users is to be vigilant on the roads, be patient and considerate to other road users. We are concerned about the unnecessary loss of lives on our roads and we appeal to both pedestrians and drivers to always be vigilant,” Letsoha-Mathae said.
She also highlighted recent heavy downpours in parts of the province, which could make roads slippery and reduce visibility, stressing the need for extra caution.
”We have experienced heavy downpours in the various parts of the province in the past few days and that will make roads slippery and vision obscured. We therefore need to be extra careful on the roads.”
”Our appeal to all road users remains urgent: the weather conditions are treacherous, and the price of a moment’s lapse in concentration is far too high. Government therefore urges all road users to drive with extreme caution, reduce your speed, and prioritise their safety and that of others on the road,” she said.
IOL previously reported that traffic authorities revealed that the taxi, traveling from Virginia in the Free State to Durban, appears to have veered into the wrong lane shortly before colliding with the truck. The cause of the swerving remains under investigation.
Chairperson of the Road Incident Management Systems, Sipho Towa, said six injured passengers were taken to Thebe Hospital in Harrismith. Police and law enforcement agencies continue to investigate the collision, and a case of culpable homicide has been opened.
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
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