MAKHADO, LIMPOPO – The death toll in last nights horrific Limpopo bus crash has risen to 42. Mostly foreign nationals from Zimbabwe and Malawi were killed when a passenger bus crashed on the N1 highway near Makhado on Sunday evening, provincial authorities confirmed on Monday.
The bus was travelling to Zimbabwe when it crashed around 90 km from the border on Sunday after the driver apparently lost control.
“A reported 42 travellers died in the incident,” South Africa’s presidency said.
The dead included a 10-month-old girl. Another 38 passengers have been hospitalised.
President Cyril Ramaphosa called the crash a tragedy for all three nations and urged road users to do more to stay safe.
“This sadness is compounded by the fact that this incident has taken place during our annual transport month, where we place special focus on the importance of safety on our roads,” he said in a statement.
The bus was travelling from Gqeberha, around 1 500 kms away, and its passengers included Malawians and Zimbabweans who were working in South Africa.
The deadly accident highlights ongoing road safety challenges across the country. South Africa has one of the world’s highest road fatality rates, with authorities attributing most accidents to speeding, reckless driving, and poorly maintained vehicles.
The N1 highway serves as a critical transport corridor connecting South Africa to neighboring countries, regularly used by cross-border buses carrying migrant workers and their families.
This latest tragedy adds to growing concerns about the safety of long-distance bus travel in the region, particularly for routes serving the large population of Zimbabwean and Malawian workers employed in South Africa.
Authorities have not yet released the names of victims or identified the bus operator involved in the crash.
