Seven people, including a minor, were killed on Easter Sunday when an SUV collided head-on with a manganese truck on the M17 between KwaZakhele and Motherwell in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. All seven occupants of the SUV died at the scene, while the truck driver survived and was treated for trauma, pushing the province’s Easter weekend road death toll past 10.
What happened on the M17
The crash occurred at approximately 15:00 on Sunday, 5 April 2026, on the M17 route connecting KwaZakhele and Motherwell. A seven-seater SUV carrying seven occupants collided head-on with a manganese truck travelling in the opposite direction.
Emergency services arrived at the scene to find all seven occupants of the SUV had died on impact. The truck driver sustained no physical injuries but was treated for trauma by paramedics.
The cause of the collision has not been confirmed, and an investigation is under way.
Eastern Cape Easter road toll continues to rise
The Gqeberha crash is the deadliest single incident in a weekend that has seen the Eastern Cape’s Easter road death toll climb past 10. Transport authorities and road safety organisations had urged motorists to exercise caution ahead of the long weekend, warning of heavy traffic volumes and unpredictable weather conditions across the province.
The N3 Toll Route, one of the country’s busiest corridors during public holidays, was also flagged for heavy return traffic as families head back to Gauteng and other provinces after the Easter break.
Road safety concerns persist
South Africa’s Easter weekend has historically been one of the deadliest periods on the country’s roads.
Authorities have attributed the high fatality rate to a combination of fatigue, speeding, overtaking on blind rises, and vehicles that are not roadworthy.
The Eastern Cape, with its long stretches of single-carriageway national roads and high volumes of holiday traffic between the coast and inland cities, is consistently among the worst-affected provinces during public holidays.
What happens next
The South African Police Service is investigating the circumstances of the M17 crash.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS app.
