How many people were on the doomed DNC 61-seater bus? Confusion mounts around Limpopo tragedy
Confusion surrounds the exact number of people who were on board the DNC Coaches that crashed near Makhado in Limpopo, killing at least 42 passengers and injuring dozens more.
While the Department of Transport said in a statement on Monday that 42 people died and 49 others were injured, bringing the total number of occupants to 91, the DNC bus company insists the vehicle was a 61-seater.
This discrepancy has raised serious questions about whether the bus was overloaded or whether some of the figures released in the immediate aftermath of the crash may be inaccurate.
DNC manager Dennis Jakopo told Newzroom Afrika that the Harare-bound bus, which left Gqeberha on Saturday afternoon, carried “two drivers and one host” and was a 61-seater.
“Yeah, it is so sad for such event and it’s a national disaster. We were not expecting it, you know. There were about children, magogos (old women), you know,” Jakopo said.
He added that the passengers were mostly Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals travelling home.
But according to the Department of Transport, 42 fatalities and 49 injuries were officially recorded — a total far exceeding the stated seating capacity for the cross-border coach.
The department said the accident happened around 6 pm on Sunday along the N1 North near Ingwe Lodge, when the bus veered off the road and plunged down an embankment. Among those killed were seven children, 17 adult men and 18 adult women.
Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa have expressed devastation at the scale of the tragedy and said investigations are under way to determine the cause of the crash, including a mechanical inspection and full scene reconstruction.
“The cause of the crash is unknown at this stage,” the statement read.
“The RTMC together with local law enforcement authorities are conducting a full scene reconstruction and mechanical investigation of the vehicle.”
The apparent discrepancy in numbers has prompted calls for clarity from both transport officials and the company.
By Monday afternoon, Minister Creecy was expected to visit the crash site and hospitals where survivors are being treated in Louis Trichardt, Siloam, and Elim, with one critically injured child airlifted to Tshilidzini Hospital.
Authorities are now under pressure to explain how a bus said to have a 61-passenger capacity could have been carrying more than 90 people.
Meanwhile, IOL reported earlier that President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep condolences to the nations of Zimbabwe and Malawi after the horrific bus crash.
DNC Coaches said the Harare-bound 61-seater bus was carrying two drivers and one host.
In his condolences message, Ramaphosa said the tragedy was compounded by the fact that it occurred during Transport Month, a time when South Africa highlights the importance of road safety.
“This incident is a tragedy for South Africa and our sister states of Zimbabwe and Malawi alike. Our roads are economic networks that bring the people of our region together across our national borders.
“We must do everything we can as road users, as transport operators, drivers and passengers to ensure that we stay safe and that we share our roads responsibly and with care for one another,” he said.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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