DURBAN – A driver was arrested on a Durban highway on Tuesday after being caught travelling at 172 km/h in a 120 km/h zone while transporting Afro-pop artists to a performance.

The Zimbabwean national was ferrying musicians Fanatic SA and Stalin to the beach festival in Umtwalume when traffic officers stopped him for exceeding the speed limit by 52 km/h.

He reportedly told officers that the artists were running late for their performance.

The man is expected to appear in the Scottburgh Magistrates Court on Thursday.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma has welcomed the arrest, saying it comes as the province intensifies efforts to reduce road crashes and fatalities involving young people.

“In this country we have in the past lost many young musicians, soccer players and many other young professionals in various fields as a result of road-related accidents,” Duma said.

The MEC said the province has set a target of reducing road accidents and fatalities involving young people this winter season, particularly those linked to speeding, excessive alcohol consumption and driving, and increased night travelling.

The #NenzaniLaEzweni operation was rolled out following Youth Day on 16 June, based on a report from the Road Traffic Management Corporation, which shows that an average of 1 044 young people died every year over the past four years.

The report indicates that fatalities peak during long weekends, particularly on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings and early mornings. Young people between the ages of 20 and 39 constitute more than half of those who die on the roads daily as a result of crashes.

Figures from the Road Accident Fund show that over the past five years, 43.5% of personal injury claims were submitted by young people aged 15 to 35, totalling 70 743 claims. Young people under the age of 15 accounted for 15 227 claims.

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