BLOEMFONTEIN – With Easter Weekend on the doorstep, the Free State Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport have road blocks in place on all the major roads in the province.

The MEC for Community Safety and Transport, Jabu Mbalula, officially launched the Provincial Easter Road Safety Campaign on Tuesday 31 March at the Kaizer Sebothelo Stadium, continuing the effort to ensure year-round road safety and reduce fatalities.

This year’s initiative aligns with the national theme, “It Begins With Me,” which emphasises individual responsibility in ensuring road safety and reducing road fatalities.

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has pledged its support for ensuring road safety as one of the main stakeholders in transporting passengers.

The department has deployed highly visible traffic officers to ensure compliance on all major roads while benchmarking against the province’s significant drop in fatalities during the Easter holiday period last year.

In 2025 the Free State recorded seven fatalities compared to 12 in 2024, contributing to the lowest national Easter death toll in three years.

The province was highlighted for its improved safety, with national Easter fatalities decreasing by 45,6% overall and crashes by 32,5%.

Motorists have been warned that there will be zero tolerance towards speeding, citing the case of a motorist arrested in December last year for travelling at 228km/h on the N3 near Warden.

The Speaker of the Free State Legislator, Mxolisi Dukwana, said in his message: “As as many of us travel to be with loved ones during this season, I urge all road users to exercise caution, patience, and responsibility. Let us protect one another by obeying traffic laws, avoiding reckless driving, and ensuring that every journey is taken with care. Road safety is not only a personal responsibility but a collective duty to preserve life and safeguard the joy of Easter for all families.”

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