5 dead, 34 injured as Bulawayo -bound bus crashes in SA

THE death of five people yesterday morning in yet another Zimbabwean bound bus crash just after Makhado towards Musina in neighbouring South Africa has heightened calls for a lasting solution to guard against loss of lives.

The bus was travelling from Gauteng to Bulawayo when the driver lost control and it drifted down the cliff, killing five people instantly, leaving 34 others injured at the same spot where 44 people among them 36 Zimbabweans and eight Malawians died in the same manner exactly four months ago.

The area around Ingwe Lodge, which has sharp curves and is also mountainous, has become a death trap for many road users on the N1 highway between Musina and Makhado towns.

Limpopo’s provincial government member of executive committee (MEC) responsible for Transport and Community Safety, Ms Violet Mathye, visited the accident scene yesterday.

She said the serious accident occurred on the N1‑29 near Ingwe Lodge in the Vhembe District at approximately 02:50 am when the driver of a Marcopolo bus, travelling along the route, lost control and the bus veered off the roadway and came to rest in a ditch.

The MEC said the driver and four passengers, one of them a woman, died on the spot.

“Four passengers sustained serious injuries, 10 were critically injured, and 18 others suffered minor injuries. All injured parties have been taken to nearby medical facilities for treatment,” said Ms Mathye in a statement.

“The road remains closed while emergency services, traffic officers and investigators work at the scene. Motorists are advised to use alternative routes and expect delays. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the deceased, and we pray for the swift healing of those hurt.”

The official said the possible cause of the crash had been recorded as driver loss of control pending a full investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the accident.

“The Department extends its gratitude to the emergency responders and urges all road users to exercise caution, especially during night‑time travel,” added the MEC.

South Africa’s Minister of Transport Ms Barbara Creecy, and her Deputy Mr Mkhuleko Hlengwa have since directed the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) to find a road engineering solution to the persistent rise in the number of road crashes on the same curve.

Ministers Creecy and Hlengwa also directed the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) to provide an update report on the directive issued last October to intensify roadworthy inspections of buses crossing the Beitbridge border.

“Both the RTMC and SANRAL are expected to provide reports as a matter of priority. This morning’s bus crash involved over 30 passengers. It has been confirmed by emergency services that five lives were lost and those injured were taken to nearby hospitals,” said the National Department of Transport in a statement.

“Minister Creecy and her deputy Mr Hlengwa have extended their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones and wish a speedy recovery for those who were admitted in hospitals.

“The RTMC is investigating the cause of the crash. The preliminary investigation report is expected in 48 hours once the RTMC begins its investigation”.

A few weeks ago, scores of Zimbabweans travelling to South Africa in a cross-border bus escaped death by a whisker when the bus was involved in a pile up accident involving a truck and a light vehicle 11km from Makhado town along the N1 highway.

The Exo bus travelling from Zimbabwe to Gauteng was involved in the accident near Makhado and only the bus driver who was injured was taken to the hospital and the rest of the passengers escaped unhurt and they had to find alternative transport to Gauteng.

The serious accident occurred on the N1 North at the Witvlag turn-off involving a tanker, a cross-border bus and a hatchback vehicle.

In October, a Zimbabwean cross border bus plunged into the same cliff outside Makhado, causing the death of 44 people among them 36 Zimbabweans and eight Malawians.

A total of 49 passengers were injured during the incident with some still hospitalised across Limpopo province.

The bus, which was en-route from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape to Harare, was also overloaded, carrying 91 passengers despite having a seating capacity of only 62.

The N1 highway in South Africa is fast becoming a death trap for travellers as many road users from the Sadc region have been killed on the road.

An estimated two thirds of the 15 000 people crossing through Beitbridge Border Post use the same highway to enter or leave South Africa.

Authorities in South Africa are also suspecting fatigue on the part of the bus drivers who drive for long distances without getting adequate rest.