Families' horror reunion

More than 20 families went to the Worcester Forensic Pathology Laboratory yesterday to identify relatives killed in the De Doorns bus crash on Friday.

Among them was Sonwabo Ndyoki, who had to identify the bodies of both his wife and sister at the mortuary.

Ndyoki's wife, Nompucuko, his sister, Nomathamsanqa Ngamalana, and 22 others died in the crash.

The two women - who were members of the Twelve Apostles Church in Christ - were returning from a church meeting in Secunda, Mpumalanga. The bus driver also died in the accident. The bus is owned by the Atlantic Charters and Tours.

"I was travelling to a funeral in Queenstown on Friday when I heard about my wife and my sister's passing on Friday. It was very painful," said Ndyoki.

"I have seen how badly injured our relatives were. But we understand that everything is created by God."

Ndyoki, the chairman of the Twelve Apostles Church in Christ in the Western Cape, said his sister left behind two children and five small grandchildren.

He now has to take care of them in addition to his own six children. Other families were too devastated to speak to the media.

Dumasani Ximbi, the head of the church in the Western Cape, had a list of the church members presumed dead. He said 12 people were in a critical condition in different hospitals. Only seven bodies had been positively identified by 2pm yesterday.

"The process is very slow as we are taking two families at a time. Bodies are badly injured," said Ximbi.

"There are counsellors here to talk to the families after they identify their relatives."

A memorial service for the victims will be held in Khayelitsha on Thursday.

Ximbi said the church wanted to hold a single funeral service for all the victims but said it would consult with the families of the victims first.

The Road Accident Fund also offered to assist the families with transport, coffins and graves. Road Accident Fund customer network official Jacques Furter said: "We will follow the families after they have identified the bodies and have information sessions with them. We will assist them in making claims that will originate from this accident."

Western Cape Transport MEC Robin Carlisle yesterday said that "it is clear that driver error played a very big part in the crash".

A three-pronged investigation has been launched. Emergency Services are investigating the causes of death, while the police are investigating the accident scene and parts of the wreck.

In addition, Carlisle has also commissioned an investigation into whether the bus company had an operating permit, if the driver had proper documentation to transport passengers and the history of the bus company.

Atlantic Charters and Tours' lawyer Shaheid Schrueder said the driver was licensed and that the bus was roadworthy.

"This is the first incident of its kind with Atlantic Charters in its operation of approximately 20 years. We want to refrain from speculating until such time as the proper investigation by the relevant authorities is conducted and concluded," said Schrueder.