Uhulumeni wesifundazwe saKwaZulu-Natal umemezele ukuthi amathimba ezimo eziphuthumayo ami ngomumo, njengoba kulindeleke ukwehla kwamazinga okushisa kanye namathuba okuphinde likhithike kulempelasonto. Yize iSouth African Weather Service (SAWS) ingakakhulumi ngokuxwayisa okusemthethweni ngesimo sezulu, le nhlangano yezulu ilindele ukuthi iqhwa liqale ezindaweni eziphakeme zaseWestern Cape ngomhla ka-29 Septhemba 2024, bese lisenyukela e-Eastern Cape naseKwaZulu-Natal ngo-30 Septhemba.
UMphathiswa wezokuThutha kanye nokuHlaliswa kwaBantu eKZN, uSiboniso Duma, ngesikhathi ethula isitatimende esithangamini sabezindaba, uthe uhlelo lwe-Road Incident Management Systems (RIMS) oluholwa yi-South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL), selulungele ukuhlela indlela ehlelekile. Izindawo ezaziwa ngokuba nezigameko zomgwaqo eziyingozi sezikhonjiwe ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukubambisana kokusebenza okuzoqinisekisa ukuthi izingozi zomgwaqo ziyagwemeka. Isikhungo esincane sosizo lwesikhashana sizobekwa e-Van Reenen’s Pass ukuze sigade izimo zomgwaqo futhi siphendule ngokushesha uma kuneqhwa.
Abaphathi be-Road Traffic Inspectorate bazosebenza izikhathi ezijikelezayo ku-Van Reenen’s Pass, kuyilapho abaphathi bemithetho yezimoto sebeqala ukuhlela ukuvala imigwaqo emikhulu, ikakhulukazi i-N3 phakathi kwe-Harrismith ne-Tugela Toll, kanye ne-R617 phakathi kwe-Kokstad ne-Underberg. Abashayeli bezimoto bacelwa ukuthi bahlehlise noma bahlele kabusha uhambo lwabo njengesinyathelo sokuzivikela.
Ukuqinisekisa ukuthi iqhwa alibuthani emigwaqweni, lo mnyango ulungisa ogandagnanda abayizigugula abangaphezu kuka-21 ukuze zisebenze ngokushesha, abangu-10 kulabogandaganda bazobekwa ngqo ezindaweni ezivamise ukuba nezinkinga. UNgqongqoshe uDuma ugcizelele ukubaluleka kokuphepha, wacela ukubambisana phakathi kwabaphathi bomsebenzi wezokuhamba komgwaqo, izinkampani zokuhambisa ngomgwaqo, izinkampani zezithuthi zomphakathi kanye nabanye ababambisene.
Ngaphezu kweqhwa, kulindeleke ukuba kube nezimvula ezizolandela kwezinye izingxenye zesifundazwe, okuhlanganisa iTheku. Uhulumeni wesifundazwe usebenzisana ngokuseduze ne-SANRAL ukuze kubhekwe umthelela ongase ube khona emigwaqweni, futhi bazoqhubeka nemizamo yokuthuthukisa izitimela njengengxenye yohlelo lwesikhathi eside lokuthuthukisa izokuthutha.
Kukhona nokuqondisisa okukhulu ekuthuthukisweni kwezokuhamba ngezitimela, futhi kuhlelwe ukushintsha ezinye izimpahla, njengamalahle, zisuke emgwaqweni ziye emzileni wezitimela ukwehlisa umthwalo emigwaqweni yesifundazwe saKwaZulu-Natal.