Authorities confirmed that the Limpopo bus crash killed 30 Zimbabweans and six Malawians among the 43 victims.
Officials from Zimbabwe and Malawi are collaborating with South African authorities and affected families to identify the victims through fingerprint matching, photographs, and on-site verification.
Zimbabwe and Malawi families travel to SA for Identification
B-Metro reports that officials from Zimbabwe and Malawi are jointly overseeing the ongoing identification process alongside South African authorities and the victims’ families.
Civil Protection Unit (CPU) Deputy Director for Response and Coordination, Veronica Bare, said a delegation is traveling to South Africa with relatives of the deceased to help identify the bodies.
“We are on our way to South Africa with relatives of the deceased who will help us in the identification process. We will also pick up more family members in Masvingo and Beitbridge,” said Bare.
Zimbabwe and Malawi to repatriate bodies
Bare said Doves Funeral Services will handle the repatriation of the victims’ remains once post-mortems and paperwork are complete.
“For now, the process of identification is ongoing. Doves Funeral Services is on standby to collect the bodies once post-mortems are completed. The bodies will be transported to their final destinations,” she said.
She added that several relatives have already travelled to Makhado. South African officials are using fingerprint verification systems and photographs to identify the victims.
Government Assisting Bereaved Families
The Zimbabwean Government will actively support affected families until it lays every victim to rest.
“So far, about 15 people have come through our Disaster Management Centre and left for South Africa. We mobilised a bus to ferry them, while some relatives already in South Africa are assisting in the identification process,” said the Ministry of Local Government spokesperson Gabriel Masvora.
He also said efforts were underway to help those without travel documents.
“For those without travel documents, we are liaising with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and South African authorities to ensure they can cross the border and identify their loved ones.”
