The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has confirmed that eight people were killed and 40 others injured in a road accident involving a Munorurama passenger bus travelling from Malawi to South Africa.
Ministry spokesperson Charles Nkhalamba said the accident occurred on Thursday in South Africa’s Limpopo Province after the bus overturned along the N1 Highway near the Witvlag turn‑off in the Soutpansberg Mountain Pass.
Nkhalamba explained that the bus had departed Malawi on Tuesday, May 5, bound for South Africa. Initial reports indicate that eight passengers died, one was in critical condition, 22 sustained serious injuries while 17 others suffered minor injuries.
Although the cause of the accident has not yet been officially confirmed, South African media reported that preliminary investigations suggest mechanical failure may have been responsible, with the bus reportedly losing its brakes.
“The ministry is in close engagement with officials from the Malawi Mission in Pretoria, who are liaising with South African authorities to verify the identities and number of Malawian nationals involved. The mission will also facilitate consular access, provide assistance to affected nationals, and coordinate possible repatriation arrangements in consultation with families and authorities,” said Nkhalamba.
He added that survivors of a separate accident involving a Malawi‑bound bus from South Africa, which crashed in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, have since been repatriated.
In that incident, 17 people died and 45 were injured. Upon arrival in Malawi, survivors underwent medical examinations. Nkhalamba noted that repatriation of the bodies from the Zimbabwe accident is underway, with processes nearly complete.
Meanwhile, former president Lazarus Chakwera has conveyed condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in the Limpopo accident. In a statement signed by his spokesperson Gift Nankhuni, Chakwera described the tragedy as a national loss.
“The former president wishes to convey his deepest condolences to the bereaved families, as well as to His Excellency Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi, and all Malawians on this terrible national tragedy. In this time of national loss, the former president prays for God’s comfort for the nation and extends his solidarity to all those most affected. May the souls of those who have died rest in eternal peace,” the statement read.
