By Panashe Divine Karidzagundi
LIMPOPO, South Africa – THE Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa have received a preliminary report from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) following a horrific bus crash that claimed 43 lives and left dozens injured on Sunday, 12 October 2025, along the N1 North in Limpopo.
The RTMC’s investigation has revealed that speeding and mechanical unroadworthiness were the primary causes of the tragedy.
According to the preliminary findings, the bus driver was traveling at an unsafe speed for the mountain pass conditions.
A mechanical assessment revealed that the bus and trailer were dangerously defective, with only five out of ten brakes operational.
One of the bus’s brakes was found to have no braking ability at all.
The report ruled out poor weather or road conditions as contributing factors.
Investigators confirmed that visibility was clear, the N1 road surface was in good condition, and road markings and signage were adequate to warn drivers about the downhill section.
The ill-fated bus had departed from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, enroute to Harare, Zimbabwe with passengers that includes nationals from Malawi, Congo, and Zimbabwe.
Eight passengers reportedly refused medical treatment at the crash scene and left before their details could be recorded.
The RTMC’s preliminary report recommended stronger law enforcement and vehicle inspection measures, particularly for foreign registered buses entering South Africa.
Officials believe that a proper inspection could have detected the bus’s poor mechanical condition before the fatal journey.
The report also said RTMC’s National Traffic Police and provincial authorities to increase surveillance on heavy vehicles that ignore speed warnings and fail to reduce speed on steep descents.
Investigators suggested examining the load capacity of foreign buses, noting that the crashed vehicle was heavily overloaded at the time of the incident.
The RTMC investigation remains ongoing and is expected to take 21 weeks to complete the final technical reconstruction report.
The process will also review operations at weighbridges, where the overloaded condition should have been detected.
Creecy directed the RTMC to ,investigate the bus company’s responsibility in maintaining roadworthiness and explore possible culpable homicide charges against the operator.
Review maintenance and service records of the bus, and coordinate with the Anti-Corruption Unit to identify any fraudulent roadworthiness certificates.
Conduct a special inspection of the company’s entire fleet, particularly those entering through South African border posts.
The directive is set to tightening compliance among cross-border transport operators to prevent future tragedies.
The statement was issued by the National Department of Transport, with Collen Msibi listed as the media contact.