President Jacob Zuma on Monday instructed the country's law enforcement agencies and transport department to take a "tough line" on public transport operators who transgress the law, after 24 deaths in accidents in the past two days.

"As South Africans, we need to place more value on human life when travelling on our country's roads," Zuma said in a statement.

"Public transport operators carry an even greater responsibility as they carry the lifeblood of this country, its people," he said.

Zuma extended his condolences to the families of those who died in the crashes, as did Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele.

Eight people died and five were injured when a minibus taxi overturned on the Mabopane Highway, near Rosslyn, in Pretoria, on Monday.

Later on Monday, a man died and 16 people were injured when a minibus taxi collided with a bakkie on the N14 outside Pretoria.

On Sunday night, 15 people died and 21 were seriously injured when two minibus taxis and a bakkie collided in Bothaville, in the northern Free State.

In a statement, Ndebele said public transport operators who compromised on safety had to be dealt with harshly.

"Over the past few months, we have repeatedly warned public transport operators, particularly operators and drivers of taxis and buses, that public transport enforcement will be stepped up," he said.

"To this end, during the past two months alone, more than 500 taxis and 200 buses have been removed from the country's roads and thousands of fines issued for various other public transport offences.

"Enforcement on these passenger-carrying vehicles will be further intensified."

Dedicated enforcement units

Ndebele said some provinces already had dedicated public transport enforcement units to carry out enforcement operations on public transport vehicles.

"As government, we will not compromise the safety of innocent commuters. Therefore, those public transport operators and drivers who continue to disregard the law must be punished accordingly."

The ministry said Road Accident Fund officials had been sent to visit and help the families of those who died.

The transport department had also sent a team of accident investigation and reconstruction specialists to help the probe into the crashes.