Zimbabwe to cover costs of repatriating SA bus accident victims

Zimbabwe's Consul-General in South Africa, Eria Phiri, says that the government of Zimbabwe will carry the costs of repatriating the bodies of the people that died in a bus accident in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo on Tuesday evening.

Phiri was speaking during a visit to the accident scene, alongside Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa.

The bus crash victims are five women and five men, all Zimbabwean nationals.

They were travelling to Gauteng from Zimbabwe.

Phiri says they are busy identifying the bodies.

"We are still trying to verify the real identity of those who perished in the accident. We have got 10 and so far, I think we still have seven who are still admitted in various hospitals here in Makhado and 32 were treated and discharged. We're right now in contact with the families back home in Zimbabwe, firstly to ascertain the identities of those who are in the mortuary. So far, two have been positively identified by their relatives. The government of Zimbabwe will start facilitation of the repatriation, all the costs towards the repatriation of the deceased are going to be met by the government of Zimbabwe."