Passengers from one broken-down DMJ bus were loaded onto another dubious bus that later crashed, killing 30 passengers, transport MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe said.
These chilling details emerged on Tuesday, a day after the horrific crash in the Kei Cuttings in the Eastern Cape.
The passengers had left their bus in Qonce and climbed aboard the doomed double-decker luxury bus, according to the MEC and relatives of the passengers.
DMJ marketing manager Thembisa Mkhohlwa insisted their bus had been roadworthy.
Details of the bus swap and mechanical issues emerged when government officials, Mkhohlwa and another company official joined the weeping, traumatised families at the Woodbrook state mortuary in East London on Tuesday morning.
Tears streamed down the faces of many family members as they waited to be ushered into the mortuary for the identification of bodies. The deceased are three children, 22 women and five men, including the driver.
Tikana-Gxothiwe, the department’s wellness official, Bishop Mbulelo Nqono, and social workers consoled the mourning relatives and prepared them for the ordeal.
Ngono led the crowd in prayer.
Relatives sat in groups, their faces grim against the backdrop of a cloudy, cold, grey sky.
Tikana-Gxothiwe said she was highly uncomfortable with early indications that passengers from the broken-down DMJ bus in Qonce had climbed aboard the other one which later crashed.
“The company was aware that the bus was not in a good condition,” she said.
“But we will wait for the results of the investigations being done by our law enforcement officials. We cannot just conclude now what really happened.”
The company was aware that the bus was not in a good condition.
Killed in the rolling bus and trailer were three children, 20 women and five men including the driver. Six seriously injured passengers are being treated in Frere Hospital.
The co-driver was not injured.
The bus was transporting 52 passengers, according to a statement from the Road Traffic Management Corporation.
Tikana Gxothiwe said: “We are really shocked. The Eastern Cape government did not expect this, because we always say that all vehicles on our roads are compliant. We were very demoralised after receiving this bad news.”
She said the government was working to assist the bereaved families.
Mkhohlwa said: “We do not have a concrete report on the main cause of the accident, but we did visit the scene to assist those who survived with alternative transportation to reach their destinations.
“We went to hospitals to identify some of the passengers who had injuries and collected the luggage of the passengers.”
Mkhohlwa said the company’s management had not yet met to decide on its next step.
Mkhohlwa said the bus had been roadworthy because they had their own mechanics at the Cape Town depot who were under instruction to perform mechanical roadworthy checks an hour before the buses depart.
“Our buses do not leave the depot without being inspected. The bus had a roadworthy certificate that was less than a month old. Our passengers’ safety is our top priority.”
Mkhohlwa declined to respond to comments by the passengers who survived that the bus had given off smoke from Cape Town and had started wobbling as it approached the Kei Cuttings.
Our buses do not leave the depot without being inspected. The bus had a roadworthy certificate that was less than a month old. Our passengers’ safety is our top priority.
They said the bus crawled uphill almost at a walking pace. Many passengers had cried out to the panic-stricken driver to slow down as it veered out of control down the cuttings.
She said: “I cannot confirm those allegations, as I was not in the vehicle. What I can attest to is that the bus was fully inspected and guaranteed roadworthy.”
“Maybe the complications took place en route.”
Distraught Viwe Ngombane, from Mthatha, spoke to Sunday Times Daily after identifying the body of his brother, Unathi Ngombane.
“He went to Cape Town to find greener pastures. He needed a job. He always kept us informed about his whereabouts. The last time I spoke to him he was in Qonce.”
Ngombane said his mother had learnt on a TV news broadcast that her son’s bus had crashed.
“We started calling, seeking confirmation from the bus company.
“We went to every hospital to search for my brother, our last resort being the mortuary.
“I am still waiting for my parents to arrive, as they have demanded to identify the body,” he said, speaking softly with pent-up emotion.
Vusi Ngomthi, whose cousin Nwabisa Mgxekwa, 31, died, said: “We were not aware that they had to swap buses.”
He said they were shocked into action when a relative called to tell them about the crash. “We frantically searched everywhere.”
Woodbrook forensic regional manager Shanks Maharaj said: “It has been a long day. Some bodies were decapitated, so we are trying to make it easier for the relatives to identify their loved ones.
“It has been gruesome for the families, because they have to go through all the bodies, and witness the grim scene.”
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