The Daily Maverick has run a story on the death toll stats.  It can be read here: http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2010-01-08-traffic-deaths-spin-doctors-vs-the-media .  It was certainly interesting to see all the back pedaling last week.  I think they grasped the whole point very well and to quote them: "By asserting the “preliminary” nature of the statistics, the Transport Department was playing all innocent. We are just providing you the facts as we have them, they were saying. Actually, they were not."