Accidents confirm ore queue danger at Lebombo Border Post

N4 Maputo Corridor: Tipper Truck Chaos Highlights Road Safety Crisis

The tipper trucks that were involved in an accident on the N4 Maputo Corridor, presumably because of bad driver behaviour related to the ore truck queue. 

Two accidents involving tipper trucks on the evening of 21 August confirm the compromised road safety experienced in the Komatipoort area, where truckers continue to do whatever they can to avoid the ore queue, squeezing through the Lebombo border to the Port of Maputo.

In the one incident, two tippers collided on the N4 near the Tenbosch Road T-junction, a road often used by truckers looping around to the north-east, heading through sugarcane country and rejoining the road to Komatipoort south of the Kruger National Park’s Crocodile Bridge Gate.

In another incident, a truck, once again a tipper heading towards the bottlenecked border, collided with a taxi on the Nweti Bridge in the Strydom Block area south of Komatipoort.

Like the Tenbosch Road area, Strydom Block is an agricultural area consisting of gravel roads and narrow bridges not meant for trucks laden with heavy ore.

Cobus Botha, who heads up the local agricultural association, told Freight News recently that the community’s secondary roads and infrastructure were steadily facing destruction at the hands of transporters unscrupulously pushing freight through Lebombo, often expecting their drivers to willingly break the law.

A source said the Nweti accident had happened on a bridge so narrow that two cars could barely pass one another, let alone handle speeding trucks rattling across old infrastructure not meant for loads over 55 tonnes.

Botha said that, at best, sugarcane trucks weighing just over 50 tonnes should use bridges such as the one at Nweti.

With trucks routinely skipping the queue by driving through Strydom Block, often to Mananga Road, which rejoins the N4 right before the border, farmers fear the roads supposed to carry lighter loads are being steadily pulverised into dirt.

“And the traffic police continue to do nothing about it,” said the source.

“It’s illegal for ore trucks to use these roads, and yet it’s allowed by officers looking on as tippers race past on farm roads, posing a real danger to the people living in this area.

“When traffic cops do stop tip-truck drivers from using roads in Strydom Block, it’s to ask for bribes. They’re not in the business of maintaining the law. They’re in the business of asking transgressors to pay them for using roads they’re not supposed to.”

He said law enforcement executives who had asked for evidence of bribery and traffic officials who were not doing their work did nothing when videos were posted on a WhatsApp security group formed to address safety and security issues stemming from the Maputo Corridor’s ore truck queue.

“The other day I posted a video of a traffic official sleeping on duty at one of the intersections, but nothing was done. A law enforcer like that should rather throw his uniform away as it doesn’t mean anything.”

The N4 Maputo Corridor continues to face growing safety concerns as reckless driver behavior, particularly among tipper truck drivers, contributes to increasingly dangerous conditions in the Komatipoort area. On the evening of August 21, two separate accidents involving tipper trucks underscored the alarming deterioration of road safety, with drivers allegedly attempting to bypass the lengthy ore truck queue that stretches toward the Lebombo border and the Port of Maputo.

Accident 1: N4 and Tenbosch Road Collision

In one incident, two tipper trucks collided near the Tenbosch Road T-junction along the N4, a route frequently used by truckers in an attempt to bypass the congestion. The road, which winds through sugarcane country and rejoins the main road toward Komatipoort south of Kruger National Park's Crocodile Bridge Gate, has become a high-risk area for accidents involving heavy freight.

Accident 2: Nweti Bridge Collision

In another accident, a tipper truck collided with a taxi on the narrow Nweti Bridge in the Strydom Block area, south of Komatipoort. This region, like the Tenbosch Road area, consists of agricultural land and secondary roads not designed to support the weight of heavily loaded ore trucks. The narrow, gravel roads and aged infrastructure, like the Nweti Bridge, are being heavily strained by trucks that weigh over 55 tonnes—far beyond what they were meant to handle. As Cobus Botha, head of the local agricultural association, pointed out, even sugarcane trucks weighing around 50 tonnes are at the upper limit of what these bridges can sustain.

Community Outcry and Infrastructure Damage

Both accidents highlight the broader issue facing the Komatipoort area, where truck drivers, eager to avoid delays at the Lebombo border, are opting for unauthorized routes through rural agricultural land. Farmers and residents are increasingly concerned that the roads, which were designed to carry lighter vehicles and farming equipment, are being destroyed by the heavy trucks. The fear is that what were once reliable dirt roads are steadily being pulverized into impassable tracks, creating hazardous conditions for local residents and farmers.

A local source explained that the roads in areas like Strydom Block and Mananga Road are not suitable for the consistent use of tipper trucks carrying such heavy loads. “It’s illegal for ore trucks to use these roads, and yet it’s allowed by officers looking on as tippers race past on farm roads, posing a real danger to the people living in this area,” the source said.

Law Enforcement Fails to Act

One of the most frustrating aspects of the situation is the lack of action from local traffic police. Residents and farmers have reported seeing traffic officers on duty, but rather than enforcing the law, they have been accused of turning a blind eye—or worse, accepting bribes. "When traffic cops do stop tip-truck drivers from using roads in Strydom Block, it’s to ask for bribes. They’re not in the business of maintaining the law," said the source.

Efforts to raise awareness have largely fallen on deaf ears, despite residents sharing video evidence of law enforcement negligence. One such video, posted on a local WhatsApp security group, reportedly showed an officer asleep at an intersection. Despite these efforts, no meaningful action has been taken. “A law enforcer like that should rather throw his uniform away as it doesn’t mean anything,” the source lamented.

A Growing Crisis

The two accidents on August 21 are not isolated events but are indicative of a larger, ongoing problem along the N4 Maputo Corridor. As truck drivers continue to flout the law to bypass the ore queue, and with law enforcement failing to act, the situation in Komatipoort grows increasingly dangerous. Residents and local farmers are left to deal with the destruction of their roads, damaged infrastructure, and the constant risk of more deadly accidents.

For those living in the area, the demand for stricter law enforcement and better infrastructure is growing more urgent by the day. If no action is taken soon, the community fears that the steady degradation of their roads and the increasing risks posed by these rogue tipper trucks will lead to further tragedies.

In conclusion, the recent tipper truck chaos on the N4 Maputo Corridor has highlighted the urgent need for improved road safety measures. The lack of proper regulations and enforcement has resulted in a crisis situation, jeopardizing the lives of road users. It is crucial that authorities take immediate action to address this issue and ensure the safety of all who travel on this crucial route. We encourage you to leave a comment below to share your thoughts and suggestions on how we can collectively work towards a safer N4 Maputo Corridor.