Mpumalanga’s law enforcement community is once again in mourning after a minibus taxi struck and killed Provincial Inspector Dumisane Ndlovu, the latest traffic officer to die in the line of duty while enforcing road safety.
Ndlovu, 49, was conducting a routine stop-and-check operation on the N2 Road outside Mkhondo towards Phongola on Thursday afternoon when he was hit by the minibus taxi. The incident happened at around 5pm, and he was declared dead at the scene. He was attached to the Piet Retief Cost Centre.
Fourth officer to die on same road
The Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison (DCSSL) said Ndlovu is the fourth law enforcement officer to lose his life on the same stretch of road under similar circumstances. This raises serious concerns about the safety of officers working along the busy corridor. A case of culpable homicide is being investigated.
MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison Jackie Macie said the department was devastated by the loss.
“We don’t have enough traffic officers to police our roads. Losing one officer cripples our efforts to enhance road safety,” Macie said in a statement on Friday afternoon.
He conveyed condolences to Ndlovu’s family, friends and colleagues. And he said funeral arrangements would be communicated in due course.
Ndlovu’s death forms part of a wider national pattern of traffic officers being killed while on duty. Often after being hit by vehicles during roadside operations, patrols or accident response.
According to figures published by SAnews.gov.za, at least 69 traffic law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty across South Africa since 2019.
Gauteng leads with 69 such fatalities
Gauteng recorded the highest number with 28 fatalities, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 13. Mpumalanga has recorded nine such deaths. Seven officers each were lost in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. Two were from the National Traffic Police, and one each from the Free State, Northern Cape and Western Cape.
The Department of Transport has previously warned that traffic officers face constant danger from speeding, distracted and reckless motorists. Particularly during high-risk operations such as roadblocks and stop-and-checks.
Investigators work to establish the exact circumstances that led to Thursday’s tragedy. Calls have intensified for motorists to obey traffic laws and approach law enforcement officers on the roadside with extreme caution.
For Ndlovu’s colleagues, his death is another painful reminder that enforcing the law on South Africa’s roads often comes at the ultimate cost.
