“We heard a big bang and then there was chaos” - passenger

More than 40 passengers sustained injuries last Wednesday (11th) when the driver of a bus lost control over the vehicle and it overturned at Mulima.

The bus was transporting women from Mashamba to Tshitale Magistrate’s Court, where they had gathered to oppose bail for a suspect accused of killing his wife at Mashamba. The women were on their way back when the accident happened.

The incident occurred on the Mulima-Tshitale road at about 15:00. 

The bus overturned and ended up sideways on the side of the road. Some of the injured passengers were rushed to the nearby Elim Hospital for treatment. Some were discharged the same day, whereas others had to stay over at the hospital.

One of the injured passengers, Ms Mashudu Khomola, was still being treated at the hospital when Limpopo Mirror visited her there last Thursday. She described the chaos that erupted when the bus started to overturn: “We heard a big bang and then realised that the bus had overturned. It rolled several times and some of the passengers were thrown out of the bus,” she said. 

“There was a huge cloud of dust and we could not even see what was happening. I strongly believe that we were saved by the grace of God.” 

Ms Khomola suffered injuries to her head and a fractured left hand and foot. “This is the most horrible experience of my life,” she added.

An eyewitness, Sydney DJ Machete, said he heard a loud banging sound before the accident happened. “I was standing next to the road when I suddenly heard that loud sound and saw the bus shivering while hitting the pavement.”

Tshitale police spokesperson Const Rudzani Lukhwa said that the police were still investigating the cause of the accident. He said that they had registered a case of reckless driving as a result of the incident. He added that the police were looking into the possibility that the driver of the bus might have been tired. He urged drivers to rather stop for a break if they become tired.

Cllr Sarah Luduvhungu said they were shocked to learn about the accident. She said that the government was worried about the increasing number of accidents. 

“This is a serious concern as more innocent lives are lost on our roads.”

News - Date: 20 March 2015

Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

Email: [email protected]