Penny Ntuli, a Jozi FM host, has expressed her dissatisfaction with the government’s response after thousands of vehicles, including herself, became stranded on the snow-covered N3 Highway over the weekend.
According to IOL, when heavy snowfall blanketed the area, the former Gagasi FM presenter was trapped in perilous conditions near Van Reenen’s Pass in KwaZulu-Natal.
Ntuli was on her way to a funeral in Durban when an unexpected winter storm struck, trapping her and her companion, “Uzalo” actress Buyani Masikane, between Montrose and Vereeniging. Despite the South African Weather Service’s warnings about an approaching snowstorm, Ntuli blasted the emergency response, venting her fury on Facebook.
“Arrive Alive is busy posting what’s going on on the N3. How about you stop posting & help people,” Ntuli wrote in a scathing post.
She further questioned the absence of helicopters to assist those stranded, particularly vulnerable motorists like children and the elderly.
“There are cars here with kids, there’s abantu abadala (old people) traveling in cars with no heaters, they’ve been freezing for the past 16 HOURS, where are the resources? Why do we pay for toll gates if you won’t issue out help on the same roads that citizens pay for?” she continued.
The situation turned deadly as at least two people reportedly died from hypothermia, while many others, including Ntuli, endured freezing conditions for over two days. Ntuli is currently recovering from a cold at her mother’s home in Durban after the ordeal.
In response, KwaZulu-Natal acting Premier Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa assured that all available resources had been deployed to assist motorists and clear the affected roads. “These teams are working tirelessly to ensure safe passage and provide assistance where necessary,” Madlopha-Mthethwa said.
