THREE of the six Putco bus victims, who died when the bus they were travelling in caught alight on 21 May, have been buried today. Families said they are happy to finally get closure. The families received their loved ones DNA tests results on 5 July.
There was no mass funeral services and families conducted their own burials.
Nomadlozi Madonsela (35) told Daily Sun that even though she felt pain burying her mother, she has finally got closure. Her mother Linah Madonsela (64) died in the accident. Linah started using the Putco bus in 1986 when she got her first job.
“We have been waiting for so long for this moment. After getting the DNA results of my mother, I knew that everything will soon come to an end. It was hard for me and my sister to sleep at night thinking about this whole thing,” she said.
Owen Kabini (35) said it’s a very sad time for the family. His mother Leah Kabini (61) was one of the victims of the bus accident.
“Closure is what we wanted as a family. We have lost a breadwinner. She was supporting the whole family with the little she got. She had 12 grandchildren all depending on her. Now there is a very big gap and a family without a mother has no warmth,” he said.
Leader of the Moloto Rail Corridor Amos Masemola said they will never rest until there is a train in Moloto.
“We want change on Moloto Road. We don’t want to see any more accidents. We are going to fight until there is a train for the people of KwaNdebele. They are dying like nobody’s business. It is very painful to have a government that doesn’t care for its people. It also hurts not to see even one politician or government official at any of the funerals,” he said.
Spokeswoman for the Mpumalanga Premier Sibongile Mkani-Mpolweni released a statement saying Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane is satisfied the DNA results have been finalised.
“We are a government of the people and have to be there for them. We could not just sit back when these families needed help. They lost their breadwinners. It was therefore important that the bus company be made to take responsibility and do right by these families. That is what we eventually achieved as the Mpumalanga government together with Putco,” said the statement.
One of the victims, a Zimbabwean national, will be buried at home in Zimbabwe next week. No government or Putco officials were present at the funerals.
