Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
Grief and emotion gripped the Beitbridge Border Post yesterday as the bodies of 29 Zimbabweans who died in a recent horrific bus accident in the Makhado area of South Africa arrived home by road for burial by families in different destinations.
Upon arrival in the afternoon on 14 Doves Funeral Services hearses and several support vehicles and buses, the bodies and their relatives were received by Local Government and Public Works Minister, Daniel Garwe, who was accompanied by Beitbridge West legislator Thusani Ndou, town councillors and senior Government officials.
A mass memorial service was later held at the local Doves Funeral Services parlour.
Thirty-six Zimbabweans and eight Malawians were killed when the DNC bus travelling from Port Elizabeth plunged into a cliff after the driver lost control along the N1 highway outside Makhado town, 100km from Beitbridge Border Post.
Of the 36 Zimbabweans who perished, most victims are spread across seven provinces except Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Bulawayo provinces.
The Government is footing all the repatriation and medical costs for the victims of the horrific crash.
The entourage of hearses from Doves Funeral Services left Polokwane yesterday morning being escorted by South Africa authorities and Zimbabwean Embassy officials in that country.
Officials say the DNA tests to confirm the identity of six minors are set to be concluded in two weeks before their repatriation.
Twelve others who were injured remain in various hospitals in Limpopo province South Africa.
Minister Garwe told the gathering that the Government was paying all the costs associated with medical bills, accommodation and the repatriation of the accident victims from South Africa.
He also called for tough action against truant drivers of public service vehicles to reduce the continued road carnage that is costing the lives of many Zimbabweans.
“I want to express our condolences as sent by President Mnangagwa. This is not a loss only to the families but a loss to Zimbabweans. So, as directed by our President, the Government is extending State assistance so that those in hospitals and the deceased get dignified burials,” he said.
“At the same time, it’s disheartening that we continue to lose lives because of truant road users, and this must stop. We need to be firm to save lives. As we gather here, we mourn together as the Zimbabwean family.”
Chief Director in the Ministry of Local Government, Mr Nathan Nkomo, said during the mass memorial service of the 29 who arrived accompanied by Zimbabwe Embassy staff in South Africa, that the DNA testing will take time.
The adults were identified through photography, physical identification and fingerprint verification.
“We are grateful for the support from South Africa and as of today, we are receiving 29 bodies and we will come back in two weeks to welcome six minors and one adult,” he said.
“This is so, because the DNA test will take some time for parents to bury the correct bodies.”
In a statement, Limpopo provincial government spokesperson, Mr Ndavhe Rammakuela, said they had concluded the process leading to the repatriation of 29 Zimbabweans who were involved in the N1 Louis Trichardt accident on 12 October 2025.
“There are still seven children where the process of identification would still to be concluded, as it requires specialised DNA identification.
“The provincial government is working with the Malawi government to finalise their list of eight bodies that would still need to be repatriated,” he said.
The finalisation follows the process of families identifying their loved ones on Monday this week, where the Premier of Limpopo, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, had joined the families as they identified their loved ones.
The premier has since commended the stakeholders involved in handling the accident and the repatriation processes for good collaboration and teamwork.
“We want to thank all teams from both the provincial and national governments that were involved in making this process bearable, helping the two countries in identifying their next of kin,” she said.
“Our words of appreciation go to the two embassies for full cooperation during this difficult process. This, in a way, would allow families to have closure as they now have an opportunity to bury their loved ones.”
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