The mayor of the Naledi Local Municipality in the North West, Neo Schalk, lost his life in a head-on collision on the N14 outside Vryburg on Sunday morning, 3 October.

According to North West police and the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management in the province, the car accident also claimed the life of the driver of the second vehicle involved in the crash. Both casualties were certified dead at the accident scene. Initial reports do not indicate if the Naledi mayor was travelling alone at the time, nor if there were other occupants in either vehicles. 

Schalk’s death comes less than a month after City of Johannesburg mayor, Jolidee Matongo, lost his life in an accident on the golden highway mere hours after partaking in an ANC electioneering event alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa in Soweto. 

The newly elected mayor was reportedly on his way home.

The accident also claimed the lives of electrician Sagel Singh, who was the motorist behind the second vehicle, and an unidentified pedestrian. 

Matongo was accompanied by members of his protection unit who sustained injuries in the accident. The deceased had been elected as the mayor of Johannesburg for just over a month taking over the reigns from Geoff Makhubo who died in July from Covid-19 related complications.

READ MORE: President Ramaphosa saddened by Mayor Jolidee Matongo’s death 

The North West MEC for the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari, has in a statement expressed his condolences to Schalk’s family. “In the many joint law enforcement operations that we held in Vryburg, mayor Schalk was always there. He would actively participate, imploring on road users to obey the rules of the road. I am saddened by his untimely death, especially at the time we are preparing for local government elections.” says Lehari. Naledi Local Municipality includes Vryburg and Stella, amongst others.
 
The ANC in the province has also reacted to the news describing Schalk as a loyal and dedicated cadre.

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