Five dead in bus rollover to Zimbabwe

Five people have died from their injuries in another bus accident in Limpopo. This is the second accident involving border buses in Zimbabwe within less than a week.

The Limpopo Provincial Department of Transport and Public Safety announced that a border crossing bus, reportedly travelling from Johannesburg to Zimbabwe, overturned on the N1 northbound towards Nyl Plaza outside Mokopane on Sunday.

Five people were killed in the accident – one woman and four men. Several other passengers suffered injuries of varying severity and were taken to hospitals in Mokopane.

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Violet Mathye, MEC for Transport and Public Safety, expressed concern about recent accidents involving cross-border public transport operators. She appealed to bus companies to ensure their drivers are “fit for the job”.

She said fatigue may have contributed to the accident.

Mathye expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured passengers a speedy recovery.

Bus in Zimbabwe overturns

This is already the second bus that has overturned on the route between Zimbabwe and South Africa within a few days.

Last Tuesday, just before midnight, ten passengers died in a bus accident at 3 Miles on the N1 near Makhado. The bus was on its way from Zimbabwe to Johannesburg.

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“Reports indicate that the bus was travelling at high speed through a roundabout (the last roundabout from Makhado to Polokwane). It lost control and overturned, killing and injuring its passengers,” spokesman Tidimalo Chuene said at the time.

“The bus driver is reportedly new to the job and unfamiliar with the area.”

After visiting the site, Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the government was currently reaching an agreement with the Zimbabwean government to repatriate the bodies.

KZN accidents

At least 21 people were killed in road accidents in KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend.

In one incident, six members of the uMkhonto Wesizwe Party (MK Party) were involved in a taxi accident in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.

Ten other members were injured and taken to hospital for medical treatment and further monitoring.

According to spokesman Nhlamulo Ndhlela, the taxi they were travelling in caught fire and they were trapped inside.

In another incident, also on Saturday, eleven people were killed in a head-on collision on the R622 between Greytown and Mooi River.

Siboniso Duma, MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, will visit the families of the deceased on Monday.

ALSO READ: Eleven people die in horrific head-on crash in KZN

“It is a sad weekend in KwaZulu-Natal following the untimely deaths of 21 people in road accidents,” Duma said.

“Tomorrow morning we will visit some of the families of the victims to express our deepest condolences. We will provide further details of the planned visits once all logistical issues have been resolved.”