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.
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. Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment