The driver or owner of the Roadlink bus that killed seven in an accident outside Beaufort West will face the full might of the law if found guilty of wrongdoing, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said on Friday.

"We will ensure that, should the driver or owner of the bus company be found guilty of any offence, they face the full might of the law," he said in a statement.

The department had appointed an accident investigation and reconstruction specialist following Tuesday's accident on the N1.

"We must put an end to these senseless killings on our roads. Those who are guilty must be held responsible for their actions and brought to book."

Ndebele had just returned on Friday from the "Make Roads Safe Africa 2009" conference in Tanzania, where delegates were told that more than 3400 men, women and children were killed worldwide each day while either walking, cycling or driving.

"This amounts to a total of 1.3-million people per year killed on roads around the globe. These are mainly young and healthy individuals in the prime of their lives and in many cases they are breadwinners."

Africa alone recorded more than 200 000 road accident deaths a year, which was greater than those from malaria.

"Therefore we must put an end to this carnage on our roads. It is the living who close the eyes of the dead, but it is the dead who must open the eyes of the living," Ndebele said.

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