Prince Chese
A South African minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has said the accident which claimed the lives of 43 people, mostly Zimbabweans, was avoidable.
Ntshavheni also asked all foreign nationals in South Africa to be respectful and responsible guests, especially when using public facilities.
“We are calling on all foreign nationals to respect the laws of South Africa. When you are in our country, you must act like disciplined and well-mannered guests, especially when it comes to public services like healthcare,” Ntshavheni said during a Cabinet briefing on Wednesday October 15 2025 broadcast live and monitored by Ziyah News at Beitbridge.
The crash near Makhado bus crash last Sunday killed 43 people, mostly Zimbabwean and some six Malawian nationals.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the governments and people of Zimbabwe and Malawi. We also wish a speedy recovery to the 48 people still in hospital across Vhembe,”said Ntshavheni.
She said accident was preventable.
“This crash could have been avoided if road regulations were followed. We are urging public transport drivers to stop overloading passengers and goods, and to only use roadworthy vehicles.”
Ntshavheni also said about the discovery of buckets of antiretroviral drugs, condoms, and other prescription medication among the wreckage — all without documentation.
“We are deeply concerned. Cabinet has launched a full investigation. This could be a case of pharmaceutical smuggling,” she said.
She said stolen ARVs threaten the fight against HIV.
“If patients miss their doses, they can develop resistance. That’s dangerous for our country — we carry the world’s largest HIV burden.”
“It’s already difficult defending access to public health for foreign nationals. But if we confirm that medication is being stolen from our clinics and smuggled across borders, it becomes harder to justify continued support.”
“Let us work together to keep our systems clean. Foreign nationals must follow our laws and respect the efforts made to keep health services fair and safe for everyone.”