Witness describes events before tragic crash in Ndwedwe
An eyewitness has shared what she saw before a fatal bus crash in Ndwedwe on Saturday.
A 60-year-old woman Qondekile Khuzwayo died and almost 60 people were injured when a bus, making its way to a funeral, had apparent brake failure on the P100 road in Ndwedwe, north of Durban, on Saturday.
Fumbetheni Nzama, who built her house along the road, said the bus fully lade with passengers drove past her.
She said there was smoke coming from the vehicle.
“I stood and watched it going up slowly and when it reached the top it stopped. It then went backwards at speed… when it reached the bridge’s guardrail, it hit it.
“It then rode over my porch and I ran away and hid behind the house. Then I heard it crash. I ran out and shouted, that’s when people came out to see.”
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma conveyed his condolences to Khuzwayo’s family from Amaoti.
Duma commissioned the Road Traffic Inspectorate to investigate the bus accident.
On Saturday, Ndwedwe Local Municipality Mayor Councillor Sam Mfeka visited the crash scene near Nombhedo, in ward 19.
According to the municipality, the bus had left Inanda in Durban and was travelling to kwaSonkombo for a funeral.
Mfeka also conveyed his condolences and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
According to Emergency Rescue Services (EMRS), of the 90 occupants, 57 were injured and one was killed.
IPSS Medical Rescue spokesperson Samantha Meyrick said the emergency service received calls for help from EMRS after a bus driver travelling on the P100 lost control.
“Sadly one person lost their life, 3 people were in a critical condition, 4 sustained moderate injuries and 50 people sustained minor injuries,” Meyrick said.
She said paramedics from various services stabilised the patients on the scene before transporting them to appropriate facilities for further care.
“The cause of the accident will be investigated further by SAPS, but according to eyewitnesses the bus experienced brake failure which led to the accident,” Meyrick said.
She added: “Our condolences go out to the friends and family of the deceased.”
Duma recently visited the families of eight women who died in a road accident in Nkandla.
The crash happened on December 30, 2024, in Mandaba. All the women were relatives who had been travelling to a wedding when their taxi rolled down an embankment after being knocked by another taxi.
The victims were Dudu Majola, 54, Ntombifuthi Majola, 51, Nokubonga Majola, 31, Colile Khanyile, 51, Busisiwe Khanyile, 49, Slindile Khanyile, 34, Nomfundo Khanyile, 30, and Mbali Biyela, 30.
Duma revealed that on December 31, he convened a meeting with mayors and senior management of traffic departments across all municipalities. Transport Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa also attended the meeting.
“We received reports and refined road safety measures currently being implemented by all municipalities,” Duma said.
“We noted a 5% decrease in road fatalities for the period between December 1, 2024 and December 27, 2024, as compared to the same period last year.”
Duma said 192 people died during that period last year and 203 died over the same period in the previous year.
“We must hasten to point out that we agreed that this number remains very high,” Duma said.
“In particular, the loss of 17 lives before the crossing over to 2025 prompted us to strengthen our road safety measures.”
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za