The identities of fourteen out of the fifteen Zimbabweans who perished in two different incidents involving Mzansi Express and Tamuka cross-border buses have been made public by the Zimbabwean embassy in South Africa.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing is being used to identify the victim who is yet unidentified.
The Zimbabwean government would pay for the expenses of returning the remains home and setting up the deceased’s funeral, according to announcements made by Ambassador David Hamadziripi.
“The Embassy and the Consulate in Johannesburg wish to update the public that, except for one, the victims of the accident have been positively identified and their next of kin have been advised accordingly,” he said.
The bodies are anticipated to return to Zimbabwe on September,5 and 6, 2024.
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The embassy announced, adding that the paperwork process for the repatriation has been completed . Burials are scheduled for the weekend of September 7 and 8.
The victims from the Mzansi Express accident, which occurred on August 28, 2024, are:
Margaret Ngwenya (52) – Plumtree
Sithusiwe Moyo (38) – Bulawayo
Sicingeni Nyoni (45) – Lupane
Forgive Ndlovu (31) – Bulawayo
Tshido Dube (38) – Plumtree
Lorenzo Palu (35) – Bulawayo
Andrew Khumalo (51) – Kezi
Boitshepo Makwaiba (52) – Bulawayo
Thulani Maphosa (age not given) – Gwanda
Lwandile Liam Palu (3) – Bulawayo
The victims of the Tamuka Coaches accident, which occurred on September 1, 2024, are:
Tatenda Mandeya (43) – Harare
Michael Zengeni (41) – Gweru
Noah Kelvin Mupondiwa (34) – Headlands
Tichaona Chigakanje (49) – Mt Darwin
The unidentified victim was also a passenger on the Tamuka bus.
Details of the Accidents
The bus overturned in the Mzansi Express disaster at Louis Trichardt, allegedly due to the driver’s overrunning of a traffic circle.
Meanwhile, driver weariness is thought to be the reason of the Tamuka Coaches disaster.
Ambassador Hamadziripi stressed that the victims of the accidents who are still in the hospital are receiving assistance from the embassy.
“We will continue to update the public on further developments,” he said.
