The 44 Botswana nationals who died in a fatal bus crash in Limpopo over Easter weekend have finally been laid to rest.
A mass funeral was held on Saturday, 4 May at the Molepolole Sports Complex in Gaborone, Botswana, where about 5,000 mourners gathered to pay their last respects.
Among those present were Limpopo-born superstar Makhadzi who hosted her first sold out one-woman show in Botswana in March 2022.
Limpopo Health MEC Dr. Phophi Ramathuba, representing the South African Government.
Ramathuba offered condolences to the President of Botswana and his people, including the families of the victims.
“As South Africans, this dark cloud has hit us too. We stand here with shaken hearts and bid farewell to the remains of 44 of the 45 members of the great nation who tragically lost their lives on that fateful day,” she said.
“You believed in us. You trusted us. You knew we would execute this difficult but critical task mandated by our two heads of state,” said Ramathuba.
Botswana’s Minister of State for the Presidency, Kabo Morwaeng, said this was the first time that 45 people had died at once.
“This is unusual for us. We have managed to prepare everything for the mass burial and our government is bearing all the costs for the funeral of all 45 victims. We believe we will find solace and closure,” he said.
The bus plunged down a bridge and caught fire claiming the lives of everybody on board except one 8-year-old girl.
The incident occurred as members of Saint Engenas ZCC were travelling to a pilgrimage in Moria during the Easter weekend.