The accident occurred around 5:30 pm, claiming the lives of one woman and four men. Many other passengers sustained injuries, some severe, and were rushed to nearby hospitals in Mokopane for treatment. Limpopo Transport and Community Safety MEC, Violet Mathye, confirmed the incident, expressing her concern over the recent surge in accidents involving cross-border public transport operators.
“Scores of passengers sustained injuries of varying degrees in the process and have been taken to hospitals in Mokopane,” said Mathye.
This devastating incident comes just days after another fatal bus crash on the N1 near Makhado, which claimed the lives of 10 Zimbabwean nationals. In that accident, a Mzansi Express bus, traveling from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, to Johannesburg, overturned after reportedly driving over a roundabout at high speed.
According to spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene, “The bus drove over a roundabout (the last traffic circle from Makhado towards Polokwane) at high speed. It lost control and overturned, killing and injuring its passengers.”
The Mzansi Express bus driver was reportedly new to the job and unfamiliar with the route. Among the victims was a couple and their 3-year-old son, who had traveled to Zimbabwe to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary.
In the wake of the Makhado accident, Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa visited the scene and confirmed that the South African government is working with the Zimbabwean government to repatriate the bodies of the deceased.
MEC Mathye emphasized the need for bus companies to ensure their drivers are adequately trained and well-rested to prevent fatigue-related incidents. “These accidents are affecting cross-border public transport operators,” said Mathye. “We need to ensure that our drivers are well-rested and competent to operate these vehicles.”
The recent tragedies have highlighted the risks faced by cross-border traders, who often rely on buses for their livelihoods. The loss of life serves as a stark reminder of the dangers associated with this mode of transport.
In a related incident, 20 people lost their lives in three separate accidents in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday, including 11 fatalities in a head-on collision on the R622 between Greytown and Mooi River in the Midlands.
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