CANE CUTTERS BUS CRASH VICTIMS IDENTIFIED

MHLUME – The identities of the seven cane cutters who died on Monday morning after the bus they were travelling in, experienced mechanical faults and plunged into the Black Mbuluzi River, have been revealed.

Yesterday, the Royal Eswatini Sugar (RES) Corporation Managing Director (MD), Nick Jackson, led a team from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, to inspect the scene of the accident. Jackson took the ministry’s Under Secretary (US) Anthony Masilela, Labour Commissioner Mthunzi Shabangu and senior officials, together with senior managers, to the site to assess the scene. Also present during the inspection tour were Vumani Shabalala (Chief Factory Inspector), RES Corporation IMS Manager Sibusiso Khoza, Kingdom Mamba (Deputy Commissioner), RES Corporation Human Resources Manager Bheki Maziya and Senior Labour Officer Thabiso Dlamini together with officers from Tshaneni Police Station. The deceased are Sibusiso Tsabedze, Sikhumbuzo Mabuza, Vincent Mondlane, Zweli Msibi, Tom Bennett, Bakhona Nyandzeni and Ben Dlamini.

Assessed

The officials and managers assessed the steepness of the road where the bus reversed after failing to engage a low gear after crossing the bridge. At first, the RES Corporation MD held a brief meeting with the ministry’s US and officials at the RES Corporation Mhlume Main Offices Boardroom, where the media was not allowed. After the meeting that lasted close to an hour, the MD led the officials to the scene of the accident. He explained that the company was still to devise a strategy on how best they could construct concrete side barriers to ensure that vehicles were protected from plunging into the river when an accident occured.

Worth noting is that the 70-seater bus belongs to D&S Investment, a cane cutting company contracted by RES Corporation. It plunged into the Black Mbuluzi River after it experienced mechanical faults when the driver, Polycarp Dlamini, tried to engage a lower gear, resulting in the bus reversing. The accident happened at Section 16 at KaMasuku Ebhulohweni, which is situated between Ngomane and Mhlume.  The MD further shared the particulars of the deceased with RES IMS Manager Khoza during the meeting in the company’s boardroom.
 “These are the particulars of the deceased after they were identified. On behalf of RES, I would like to send our heartfelt condolences to the families at this difficult time,” Jackson said. Thabile Tsabedze, a family member of the late Sibusiso, said they were still traumatised about the incident.

“We were shocked to learn that Sibusiso died and as a family, we are still waiting for the results of the postmortem,” she said. Babe Mabuza, the father to Sikhumbuzo from Buhlebuyeza area under Nkambeni community, said his son left behind six children. “I am still reeling from shock as my son was still young and a breadwinner in the family and his children and wife have been left in the cold. It’s only God who has answers about his death,” he said. Charles Bennett, an uncle to Tom (22) from Ngculwini, said the accident shocked his family as Tom was still young and had a promising future. “He always dedicated himself when doing something. He dropped out of school when the family was still pushing him to dedicate his time to books. But we thought working will ensure that he becomes a responsible man,” Charles said. Worth mentioning is that 73 cane cutters were treated and discharged at the RES Corporation Ngomane and Mhlume clinics yesterday. A senior manager at RES Corporation shared that only one of the survivors was yesterday morning taken to the Ngomane Clinic to be checked after complaining of constant pains in his body.

“We hope he will also be treated and discharged and if there are any complications, the company has to transfer him to a bigger facility so that medical check-ups can be done,” said the manager. Meanwhile, the son to the company’s director, Phathizwe Shongwe, said the bus’ gearbox experienced mechanical faults when the driver tried to engage a lower gear. Shongwe said he had been informed that 23 of the cane cutters were swiftly rushed to RES Corporation Mhlume Clinic, where they were treated and discharged. He said 71 of them were whisked to RES Corporation Ngomane Clinic and he was told medical check-ups were being administered by the medical staff. In essence, 94 were treated after being taken to both clinics and the total of the cane cutters on board the bus was 101, considering the seven who died on the scene.

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