S. African president vows to tighten traffic rules

South African President Jacob Zuma on Saturday vowed to tighten traffic rules following the death of a cabinet minister in a road carnage.

Zuma was speaking at a funeral of Collins Chabane, Minister for Public Service and Administration, in Malamulele, Limpopo Province.

Chabane, along with his driver and body guard, was killed last Sunday when his car crashed with a truck that was making a U turn on a highway between Polokwane and Mokopane in the Province.

A case of culpable homicide has been opened against the truck driver who was not injured in the accident. Chabane's driver was also blamed for allegedly speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol.

"The manner in which we lost him (Chabane) and the two police officers calls upon us to reflect deeply on road safety," Zuma said.

"Drivers should observe the rules of the road, whether they see traffic officers or not. It is up to all of us to drive safely and save lives."

Zuma said the carelessness on the roads cannot continue in this manner.

The human cost as a result of road carnages "is enormous", Zuma stressed.

"Government cannot solve this problem alone. It requires the commitment and actions of all road users."

South Africa is among countries that have the highest traffic fatality rate in the world. Every year, more than 14, 000 people are killed on South African roads, official statistics showed. Endi