Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya in Siloam South Africa
SILOAM Hospital has turned into a sea of sorrow as scores of Zimbabweans and Malawians gathered to physically identify relatives killed in last Sunday’s deadly bus crash near Makhado town. The tragedy claimed 43 lives when a DNC bus travelling from Port Elizabeth to Harare plunged off a cliff.
Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba is set to lead a South African delegation offering support to the grieving families.
Limpopo provincial government spokesperson Ndavhe Ramakuela explained the purpose of the gathering. “This marks the next phase in the identification process, following the completion of post-mortem examinations conducted by the Forensic Pathology Services. The South African Police Service Victim Identification Centre has also commenced scientific identification procedures, including DNA analysis and fingerprint matching, in partnership with authorities from Zimbabwe and Malawi,” he said.
So far, embassies from Malawi and Zimbabwe have confirmed the identification of eight Malawians and 33 Zimbabweans who perished in the tragedy.
The hospital atmosphere remained heavy with grief as families struggled to come to terms with their losses while completing the heartbreaking identification process.
Bongani Ndlovu