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LIVE UPDATES | N1 Bus Crash Near Makhado
At least 40 people have been killed and dozens injured in a horrific bus crash along the N1 highway near Makhado in Limpopo Province, South Africa.
The bus, which was travelling from Gqeberha to Harare, Zimbabwe, veered off the road on Sunday, leaving a trail of devastation. Authorities are still working to determine the cause of the accident.
Emergency services, police officers, and Limpopo MEC for Transport Violet Mathye are currently at the scene.
The N1 has been closed in both directions, and motorists travelling between Musina and Louis Trichardt are advised to use the Witvlag and Williespoort alternative routes.
Zimpapers’ reporter Thupeyo Muleya will be bringing you live updates as rescue operations continue and more information becomes available.
Stay with us for real-time developments from the crash site.
Limpopo Premier to visit N1 accident scene
Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba is set to visit the accident scene on Monday along the N1 road near Makhado town, where 42 people were killed on Sunday evening.
The bus was carrying Malawians and Zimbabweans travelling to Harare.
DNC Bus Company Port Elizabeth depot manager, Mr Dennis Jacob, said their executives were also heading to the scene with a view to offering necessary assistance to the victims of the accident.
In a statement, Limpopo Premier’s spokesperson, Mr Thilivhali Muavha, said the tragic bus accident happened on the N1 North near Louis Trichardt, in a mountainous section of the road.
“The Premier will this morning, at 11:00, meet the multi-disciplinary team who have been attending to the accident at the scene to get the latest update. She will later address the media from the accident scene,” said Mr Muavha.
The Premier, together with various MECs, will visit the hospitals where those who are injured are being attended to.
He said, according to preliminary reports, the bus was transporting passengers from Zimbabwe and Malawi who were travelling from the Eastern Cape to their home countries when it veered off the road along a steep mountain pass and plunged down an embankment.
“Emergency services, including paramedics, transport officers and law enforcement officials, responded swiftly to the scene,” said Mr Muavha.
“Rescue operations continued late into the evening, with several injured passengers being transported to nearby hospitals for medical care.
Investigations led by traffic authorities and the South African Police Service are currently under way to determine the cause of the crash.”
He said the provincial government is working closely with the Department of Transport and Community Safety, the Department of Health, and Disaster Management teams to coordinate support.
Mr Muavha said psychosocial services are being offered to survivors, and liaison is under way with consular services from Zimbabwe and Malawi to assist affected families.
Dr Ramathuba has described the accident as heartbreaking.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy. Losing so many lives in one incident is painful beyond words. On behalf of the Limpopo Provincial Government, we extend our deepest condolences to the affected families, including those in Zimbabwe and Malawi. We wish a full and speedy recovery to all survivors. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time,” said Dr Ramathuba.
UPDATE | Limpopo bus crash death toll at 42
The death toll from bus crash on the N1 outside Louis Trichardt in Limpopo now stands at 42.
The Transport Department says the deceased are 18 adult females, 17 adult males and seven children.
More than 30 passengers have been taken to hospital.
The bus lost control and rolled down an embankment and landed on its roof.
Emergency services personnel, police and traffic police are continuing with the search and rescue efforts Monday morning.
Transport Department MEC Violet Mathye, who had gone to the bus crash scene, indicated that some passengers are suspected to be still trapped in the bus.
The bus travelling from Gqeberha was carrying Malawian and Zimbabwean nationals.
The road remains closed for traffic on both directions.
Zimbabwe ambassador to South Africa to visit the scene
Zimbabwe’s ambassador to South Africa, Mr David Hamadziripi, along with consulate staff, is set to visit the scene of the accident in Limpopo Province where 42 people died in a bus crash.
The bus was travelling from Port Elizabeth to Harare with Malawians and Zimbabweans when the driver lost control and it plunged down an embankment near Makhado town on Sunday evening.
The road has many curves, and the area around the accident scene is mountainous.
Zimbabwe’s Consul-General to Johannesburg, Mr Eria Phiri, confirmed the latest development.
“The Ambassador and our consulate staff are already on their way to Makhado to offer the necessary consular services to our nationals with the support of our hosts. We will share more details at a later stage,” said Mr Phiri.
Rescue workers are still on the scene, and the identities of the deceased are yet to be revealed.
SA President Mourns Makhado Bus Crash Victims
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his condolences to the relatives of the 42 people who died in a road accident on Sunday evening near Makhado town.
Tragedy struck when the driver of a bus travelling from Port Elizabeth to Harare lost control.
It then plunged down an embankment, killing 42 people and injuring 30 others. The bus had three crew members.
In a statement on Monday, President Ramaphosa offered the Government and people of South Africa, and his deepest condolences to the nations of Zimbabwe and Malawi.
“Our thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased, and we wish the dozens of injured persons a full and speedy recovery,” he said.
President Ramaphosa described the incident as a tragedy for South Africa and the sister states of Zimbabwe and Malawi alike.
“This sadness is compounded by the fact that this incident has taken place during our annual Transport Month, where we place a special focus on the importance of safety on our roads,” he said.
“Our roads are also economic networks that bring the people of our region together across our national borders.
“We must do everything we can as road users, as transport operators, drivers and passengers, to ensure that we stay safe and that we share our roads responsibly and with care for one another.”
UPDATE: 17 men, 18 women, 7 children among dead in Makhado bus crash . . . as SA’s Road Traffic Management Corporation investigates
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
Seventeen men, 18 women, and seven children were among those who tragically lost their lives in the Makhado bus crash, as South Africa’s Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has sent a team of crash investigators to perform technical investigations to Limpopo to establish the real cause of a major bus crash that claimed 42 lives.
The crash occurred when the bus carrying passengers overturned on the N1 near Ingwe Lodge along the N1 highway near Makhado town some 100km from the Beitbridge Border Post.
The bus was travelling from Port Elizabeth to Harare carrying Malawians and Zimbabweans.
In a statement on Monday the RTMC said among the casualties were seven children, 17 men and 18 women.
“The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has sent a team of crash investigators to perform technical investigations to Limpopo to establish the real cause of a major bus crash that claimed 42 lives. Traffic flow on the road is affected by ongoing investigations. Motorists are advised to be patient and exercise extreme caution,” said the organisation.
Meanwhile, Swaymo Enterprise, the company whose bus was being operated by DNC transport, has since expressed its condolences to the relatives of the deceased.
Swaymo Enterprises Managing Director, Mr Alec Chikandiwa said they had also sent a team to Makhado to offer compassionate help to the families and the necessary help to authorities in that country.
“To our valued customers and passengers, we express our deepest condolences to the families of the 42 passengers who tragically lost their lives in the devastating accident involving one of our buses that was being operated by fellow bus operator, DNC, near Makhado town, approximately 100km before Beitbridge Border Post,” he said.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our thoughts are with the families, friends and loved ones of those affected. May the memories of your loved ones bring you strength and comfort during this difficult time. May God bless and comfort you. We have since sent a team on the ground to assist the families and authorities during this darkest moment in our lives”
“Darkest moment in our lives”: Bus operator pays tribute to Makhado crash victims
Swaymo Enterprises, the company whose bus was being operated by DNC Transport and was involved in a road accident that killed 42 people near Makhado town in South Africa, has expressed its condolences to the relatives of the deceased.
South African authorities are yet to release the names of the casualties, which include seven children, 17 men and 18 women.
The company’s Managing Director, Mr Alec Chikandiwa, said on Monday that they had also sent a team to Makhado to offer compassionate assistance to the families and the necessary support to authorities in that country.
“To our valued customers and passengers, we express our deepest condolences to the families of the 42 passengers who tragically lost their lives in the devastating accident involving one of our buses that was being operated by fellow bus operator DNC, near Makhado town, approximately 100km before the Beitbridge Border Post,” he said.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts are with the families, friends and loved ones of those affected.
“May the memories of your loved ones bring you strength and comfort during this difficult time. May God bless and comfort you. We have sent a team on the ground to assist the families and authorities during this darkest moment in our lives.”
Desperate search: Man combs Limpopo hospitals for sister after deadly bus crash
A Zimbabwean man, Sheppard Thivenge, is desperately searching for his sister who was among passengers on a bus that crashed along the N1 near Makhado in South Africa’s Limpopo Province on Sunday.
At least 42 people, including several Zimbabweans, were killed when the bus, which was travelling from Gqeberha to Harare, overturned and landed on its roof. Dozens of others were injured and taken to various hospitals in the area.
Follow live updates here: LIVE: At least 40 Zimbabweans killed and dozens injured in N1 bus crash en route to Zimbabwe – herald
Speaking at the scene, Thivenge said he had been moving between hospitals hoping to find his sister.
“We went to the hospital, and what we saw there was terrible — people were badly injured. I didn’t find my sister, so I went to Elim Hospital. We checked there; most of the patients were women, and only three of them were in a better condition. I managed to talk to them and showed them my sister’s picture. They said they knew her and that they were together on the bus.
“We didn’t find my sister, but they showed us one woman who had passed away at the hospital. She managed to reach there but didn’t make it. I’m now on my way to Siloam Hospital to continue searching for my sister.
“I spoke to an officer who said that if we don’t find her there, we’ll have to wait for assistance and go to Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital. That’s where they will give us the full list of those who passed away and those who survived, maybe today or tomorrow.”
- SABC News
This is a devastating incident on the cross-border corridor”: Border Management Authority Boss
The Border Management Authority (South Africa) has described the death of 42 people — among them seven children, 17 men and 18 women — in a bus accident in Makhado along the N1 as a devastating development in the SADC region’s cross-border corridor.
The Swaymo Enterprises bus, which was being operated by DNC Transport, was travelling from Gqeberha to Harare, Zimbabwe, when it veered off the road on Sunday, leaving a trail of devastation.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation is still working to determine the cause of the accident.
Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato, said the BMA joins the people of South Africa and the nations of Zimbabwe and Malawi in mourning the tragic loss of lives following Sunday’s bus accident.
“On behalf of the BMA and its officials deployed along South Africa’s ports of entry, I extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families, friends, and the governments of Zimbabwe and Malawi,” said Dr Masiapato.
“Our thoughts and prayers are also with those who sustained injuries and are currently receiving medical care. This heart-breaking incident occurred along one of our country’s busiest cross-border corridors linking South Africa with the rest of the SADC region.
“It serves as a painful reminder of the human cost of unsafe travel conditions on long-distance routes and the urgent need to strengthen the safety and security of all people who traverse our borders in search of opportunity, connection and hope.”
He said as the authority responsible for facilitating safe, orderly and secure cross-border movements, the BMA remains committed to working closely with the Department of Transport, the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA), law enforcement agencies, and regional counterparts to ensure that the standards of cross-border transport are continuously monitored and enforced.
“We will continue to enhance coordination to protect the lives of travellers who rely on these routes. May the souls of all those who lost their lives in this tragic accident rest in eternal peace, and may their loved ones find comfort during this difficult time,” said Dr Masiapato.
“The bus was overloaded”: Families mourn loved ones after deadly Limpopo crash
Relatives of those who were on board said they were told the bus, which was supposed to carry 61 passengers, had more than 90 people when it overturned.
The DNC bus was carrying 91 people instead of its capacity of 60, according to statistics where 42 people died while 49 were injured.
Among those frantically searching for answers is Mr Japhet Moyo, who travelled to the bus company’s offices hoping to confirm the fate of his brother and sister-in-law.“I came here on Saturday with my brother and his wife to take a bus from here to Malawi. We later heard from people that the bus was carrying 61 passengers, but now we’re being told it had over 90. That means it was overloaded,” he said.
“Since yesterday around half-past four, I’ve been trying to contact my brother but there’s no answer. The phone rings, but no one picks up. We don’t know if he and his wife are alive or not.”
Moyo said the bus company had not provided any clear answers. “They told us they are still waiting for full information from hospitals — how many people have died and how many are injured. We are waiting for confirmation.”
He added that his family in Malawi was devastated. “My parents and relatives are not feeling well because of this accident. Everyone is in pain. That bus was not in good condition — you can see from the pictures that the tyres are on top. It’s a painful situation for everyone, in Malawi and Zimbabwe.”
Authorities in Limpopo have since launched an investigation into the cause of the accident, including allegations of overloading and possible mechanical failure.
- Newzoom Afrika
South Africa’s Transport Ministry expresses concern over recurrent public transport crashes
South Africa’s Transport Minister, Ms Barbara Creecy, and her deputy, Mr Mkhuleko Hlengwa, have expressed concern over the recurrent fatal road accidents involving public transport.
The duo, along with other senior government officials and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, Mr David Hamadziripi, and his Malawian counterpart, Ms Stella Chiripo Ndau, visited the site of a bus accident that killed 42 people travelling from Port Elizabeth to Harare.
The accident occurred on Sunday afternoon along the N1 highway near Makhado town, approximately 100 km from the Beitbridge border post.
“Transport Minister Ms Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mr Mkhuleko Hlengwa are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of 42 lives and 49 injured passengers in a devastating road accident that occurred on Sunday, 12 October 2025, at approximately 18:00 on the N1 North near Ingwe Lodge, Limpopo,” said the Minister’s spokesperson, Mr Collen Msibi.
“Both Minister Creecy and Deputy Minister Hlengwa have expressed their concern regarding the persistent trend of road crashes involving public transport. They have emphasised that the current review of the National Road Safety Strategy will strengthen efforts in promoting road safety in both the scholar transport and public transport systems.”
He added that the Ministers expressed their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured passengers.
Mr Msibi provided a breakdown of the casualties from the scene: 42 fatalities, consisting of seven children, 17 men, and 18 women. There were 49 injured persons, consisting of six critically injured, 31 seriously injured, and 12 slightly injured occupants.
“The injured persons were transported to Louis Trichardt, Siloam, and Elim hospitals. One critically injured child was airlifted to Tshilidzini Hospital,” said Mr Msibi.
He said the cause of the crash is unknown at this stage.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), together with local law enforcement authorities, is conducting a full scene reconstruction and mechanical investigation of the vehicle.
“A preliminary report will be concluded in due course,” he added.
