Minibus taxi accidents claim 23 lives in South Africa

Johannesburg - Ten people have been killed in yet another accident involving a minibus taxi in South Africa, bringing to at least 23 the number of people killed in smashes involving the notoriously dangerous 16-seater vehicles over the past 48 hours. The taxi was travelling from KwaZulu-Natal province to Gauteng province when it overturned outside Memel in the Free State. At least seven people were seriously injured, SAfm public radio reported. A case of culpable homicide had been opened against the driver, the report added. The accident came just two days after 12 schoolchildren were killed and five were injured when the minibus taxi they were travelling in collided with a truck east of Pretoria on Saturday. The driver of the taxi died later in hospital. The collective taxi is the transit of the masses throughout Africa, but the often overcrowded, often battered vehicles are seen as death-traps. The South African government aims to to scrap 80 per cent of old taxis by 2010 by offering taxi drivers 50,000 rand to upgrade their taxis. Despite some resistance from taxi operators over 2,000 vehicles have been scrapped under the scheme so far, according to the government. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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Minibus taxi accidents claim 23 lives in South Africa

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