Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya,Beitbridge Bureau
A CLOUD of grief still hangs heavy over Zimbabwe as authorities confirm that the bodies of six minors who perished in last month’s horror South African bus crash will be repatriated by road on Wednesday after DNA tests finally identified them.
The accident claimed the lives of 36 Zimbabweans and eight Malawians when a DNC bus travelling from Port Elizabeth plunged into a cliff along the N1 near Makhado, just 100km from Beitbridge.
Zimbabwe’s Consul General to South Africa, Eria Phiri, said all processes for the six children have now been concluded.
“All families of the six deceased children have been advised on the conclusion of the DNA test processes,” said the Consul General.
He said they are meeting families in Makhado and finalising paperwork ahead of the Wednesday journey home.
“We expect the repatriation process to be carried out by road on Wednesday. I will also be visiting eight Zimbabweans who are still admitted at various hospitals in Limpopo Province,” he said.
Thirty adult victims were brought home two weeks ago, while eight survivors remain hospitalised.
Authorities relied on photography, physical identification and fingerprint verification for adults, but the minors had to undergo DNA profiling to avoid mix-ups.
The Government is covering all repatriation costs, including medical bills for the injured, as families brace for heart-wrenching burials in coming days.
