The memorial service for the 18-people, who lost their lives in an accident on the R541 road between Badplaas and Machadodorp on Tuesday, will take place tomorrow, July 7 at 11:00. It will be held at the local stadium at Emthonjeni Township in Machadodorp.

The decision was taken after the MEC for the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison in Mpumalanga, Mr Pat Ngomane, RTMC CEO Adv Makhosini Msibi, mine management and other stakeholders met with family members yesterday at the Machadodorp Traffic Centre in preparation for the burial of the deceased.

Ngomane insists that it is important for the deceased to be respected by their colleagues and community members. The service will take place after family members have identified the deceased and post-mortem procedures concluded.

Among the 18, one person has been already been buried yesterday morning in Johannesburg. Six people from Machadodorp will be buried locally while the rest will be separately buried at their respective areas as they originated from other provinces such as KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Free State.

Together with the mine management, government will assist the bereaved families with counselling services, burial costs, transport and other logistic arrangements with the aim of easing the pressure from the grieving family members.

“Through the department of Social Development, we will also profile the families of the people injured during the crash to ascertain the nature of assistance that will be needed to keep them going during this difficult period. We are also talking with mine management to develop an after care programme for the families of the victims of the crash so to empower them face life courageously now that some of the bread-winners within the families are unable to provide,” said Ngomane. 

Ngomane welcomes the police action to charge the truck driver with culpable homicide. The driver, Sebastian Macuacua, 
a Mozambican national, has already appeared in the Machadodorp Magistrate Court and remanded in custody on Wednesday facing 18 counts of culpable homicide. The next court date will be on July 10 at Belfast Court.

On the fateful day, his truck was involved in a collision with two mini buses transporting mine workers to work. Sixteen people died at the scene while two more were certified dead at the Belfast Hospital.

Ngomane said that this action will demonstrate that government is serious about the prosecution of people who are suspects in traffic violation incidents. He urged motorists to be cautious at all times and to ensure that they obey all the rules of the road.

Submitted by: Zandile V Mandlazi / Department: Community Safety, Security and Liaison