72-year-old Austrian cyclist Rudolf Köberl-Labenbacher called his wife Hertha in Vienna, told her how majestic Africa was, how much he missed her, and that he was eager to get back on the bike for the sunset. Roughly two hours later, SAPS rang to say he was dead.​ He was cycling about 4 km outside Swellendam on the N2 towards Heidelberg, Western Cape, on Wednesday 14 October 2026 when a vehicle struck him. He suffered fatal injuries and was declared dead at the scene by medical personnel. Swellendam police opened a culpable homicide case. The family has heard nothing further from police since and is still waiting for answers while trying to get his body repatriated to Austria. He and Hertha had been married nearly 50 years; she is heartbroken and not receiving visitors.​ This is the reality of the roads in the Western Cape; another cyclist (the sixth fatality in 10 months according to local cycling bodies) wiped out, family left in the dark thousands of kilometres away, and no arrests or clear details released. News24 turned his last loving words about “majestic Africa” into a clickbait headline while the actual circumstances stay buried under an ongoing investigation. Reckless driving, weak enforcement, and zero accountabilit, the standard South African road package for locals and tourists alike.