Deputy transport minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa, who visited the Limpopo bus crash survivors at hospital. Photo by Darren Stewart
SOME bus crash survivors are allegedly refusing medical treatment.
It’s reported that the survivors of the recent Limpopo bus accident, which claimed 10 lives, refused to be admitted to Louis Trichardt Hospital to receive medical attention.
This was revealed by transport deputy minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa, who visited the accident site and survivors at the hospital on Thursday, 29 August.
The accident occurred on Tuesday, 27 August, at 3 Miles on the N1 around Makhado in Limpopo. The bus was en route from Joburg to Zimbabwe.
Ten people, including a two-year-old minor, died in the crash.
Hlengwa said that although some survivors were receiving medical attention and some were being discharged from the hospital, other survivors refused to be admitted.
“Currently, two patients are here and receiving medical attention. One has been transferred, and the rest have been discharged. There are those who refused treatment and refused to be admitted to the hospital, which is a matter that will be looked at.”
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Hlengwe stated that the repatriation process will proceed simultaneously with the verification process.
“Bodies are being identified. Two have been positively identified by two families yesterday. The Zimbabwe consul in South Africa said they will prefer mass repatriation,” he said.
Hlengwa further said that they will be in continuous engagements through the guidance of the preliminary report provided by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the work to be done by the Cross Border Road Traffic Agency next week, along with all other law enforcement agencies.
Zimbabwe’s Consul in South Africa, Commissioner Eria Phiri, said that investigations into the verification of the travel documents of the individuals involved in the accident are now part of a comprehensive ongoing investigation.
“The repatriation cost will be made by the government of Zimbabwe and will be facilitated by the consulate in Joburg. So, as we speak, processes are being undertaken to disperse funds to the consulate so we can repatriate the 10 deceased and also pay the medical expenses of those hospitalised.
“We will try by all means to ensure that the repatriation processes are concluded at the earliest possible time. Because we are a government institution, and there are certain procurement procedures, which must be followed when confronted with situations like this and on our part, that procurement procedure doesn’t take long,” said Phiri.
Mankaleme Thema
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