Lerato Mbhiza
The identification process of the bodies of the 45 Botswana nationals who died in a bus crash last Thursday at the Mmamatlakala Bridge, between Marken and Mokopane in Limpopo, is expected to resume on Tuesday.
The passengers were on the Easter Pilgrimage to the ZCC church in Moria when their bus crashed and went over a barrier, landing at the bottom of a ravine where it burst into flames killing everyone on board except an 8-year-old who survived the carnage.
Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba said nine of the bodies were recovered from the scene in a state where they could be identifiable. The remainder of the bodies were charred to ashes and will only be identified through DNA tests.
The process of sampling DNA from the relatives of the deceased is already underway in Botswana.
Minister of Health Joe Phaahla is expected to monitor progress made by authorities in Limpopo on Tuesday in efforts to identify and repatriate victims of a bus crash.
Phaahla will be joined by Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba, who has actively been on the ground.
At the weekend, Ramathuba held a media briefing with Botswana High Commissioner to South Africa, Dr Sanji Monageng, where she announced the establishment of a multi-disciplinary team, including the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and the Department of International Relations, to probe the tragedy.
Both Monageng and Ramathuba were unable to provide details on the names of the victims, the bus company, or the driver.
Instead, Monageng said the church where the pilgrims were going would have a list of all the names of the passengers aboard the vehicle.
Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale said: “Phaahla will interact with the sole survivor of the crash and also visit the scene of the incident.”
Outcomes from the visit are expected to be shared with the public.
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