JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent condolences to the governments and people of Zimbabwe and Malawi following Sunday’s horror bus crash near Makhado in Limpopo, which claimed at least 42 lives.
The bus was travelling from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape to Harare and onward to Malawi when it veered off the N1 highway on Sunday afternoon and plunged down an embankment.
In a statement on Monday, Ramaphosa said:
“This incident is a tragedy for South Africa and our 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 expressed sympathy to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
“Our roads are also economic networks that bring the people of our region together across our national borders,” Ramaphosa said. “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.”
Forensic investigations into the cause of the crash continued on Monday, with the N1 near Ingwe Lodge remaining closed for several hours as emergency services cleared the wreckage.
