Victims of fatal bus accident remembered

The mood was sombre on Monday, 16 October, as bereaved family members visited the scene of the accident where 20 people perished in a horrific head-on collision between a bus and a truck on the D2692 road outside Musina, on Sunday, 17 September.

After a short prayer session at the accident scene, led by Pastor Joseph Salani, an emotional memorial service followed at De Beers Venetia Mine.

Seventeen of the casualties were workers of the Murray & Roberts Cementation plant, who were on their way to work at De Beers Venetia Mine outside Musina. The other three casualties were the driver of the Hope Diamond Transport bus, a delivery truck driver for Thikoni Investments, and one of the truck’s passengers. The four survivors from the bus had been receiving medical treatment in Polokwane and Gauteng.

As of Monday, a total of six victims had already been laid to rest, while the DNA results and remains of those linked to Murray & Roberts were due to be released from the Tshilidzini Hospital on Tuesday (17 October), so that the families could bury their loved ones.

Addressing the bereaved families and guests during the memorial service, the Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr Lisa Mangcu, said that for the country to have had 12,436 road fatalities only in 2022 was unacceptable. “The accidents on our roads, especially where trucks are involved, remain a pandemic that we should jointly curb. We need to introduce a 24-hour shift system for traffic officers in all layers of government to curb these road fatalities,” he said.

Messages of condolence also came in from MEC Florence Radzilani, Mayor Godfrey Mawela, Pastor J. Magonono of the Musina Council of Churches, the National Coordinator for Solidarity, Mr Jannie de Villiers, President of the National Union of Mine Workers, Mr Daniel Balepile, as well as the group chief executive of Murray & Roberts Cementation, Mr Henry Laas. 

The full list of the names of the casualties from Murray & Roberts and that of Hope Diamond Transport’s bus driver were unveiled as the eulogy was read out to the guests during the memorial service.

The deceased are: Rirhandzu Mathomu from Tshisaulu (Limpopo), Given Khosa (Nwamitwa, Limpopo), Mxolisi Terence Mahlalela (Malelane, Nelspruit), Epson Merald Mkansi (Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga), Teboho Moffart Maleba (Sinthumule, Limpopo), Andries Rekhotso (Rustenburg, North West), David Amos Ngomane (Fochville, Gauteng), Cedric Mobjane Mathibe (Sterpark, Polokwane), Boitumelo Joshua Maleshane (Klerksdorp, North West), Gaohenngwe Sylvester Maruping (Musina, Limpopo), Selina Tendani Moyo (Musina, Limpopo), Baswabili Martha Raletjena (Senwabarwana, Limpopo), Takalani Tracy Mundi (Louis Trichardt, Limpopo), Israel Molelekwa (Groblersdal, Limpopo), Thulani Mvila (Malelane, Nelspruit), Siphelele Bangani (Klerksdorp, North West), Kabelo Given Semetjane (Burgersfort, Limpopo), and the bus driver, James Muleya (Musina, Limpopo).

The names of the truck driver and his passenger were not made available.

Date:22 October 2023

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