At least one person was killed and 30 injured in an accident on the N1 in Johannesburg.
Both the N1 North and South had to be closed to traffic in order for emergency personnel to attend to the accident scene after a truck carrying bricks lost control and overturned - crashing into 27 other vehicles, including a taxi.
In the meantime Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyana appealed to drivers in the province to always exercise extra caution on the roads and ensure that they obey all rules of the road.
While she has called for a thorough investigation into what caused the accident transport minister Ben Martins also expressed concern over the incident.
With initial reports indicating that 5 people had died as a result of the crash Martins said South Africans needed to come together to stop the carnage on the roads.
“We need sustainable partnerships between government and civil society to win the war against the road carnage,” he added.
Martins will launch the 2013 National Easter Road Safety campaign in Polokwane, Limpopo on March 10.