- Four people have been confirmed dead and 31 others injured after a Zimbabwe-bound bus veered off the N1 highway and plunged into a ditch near Ingwe Lodge outside Makhado in Limpopo Province, South Africa, on Thursday, February 19, 2026, in the morning.
Transport MEC Violet Mathye visited the scene on Thursday morning and confirmed the initial casualty figures.
“So far we have confirmation of four fatalities, while some other people have been transported to hospital. We will give other numbers as we get them,” she told South African media.
Zim Now understands that the bus was Bulawayo bound and has seen images reportedly showing that the driver died on the scene.
The crash occurred in the early hours of Thursday, 18 February 2026, along the busy northbound route linking Gauteng to the Beitbridge border post.
Authorities confirmed on Friday that the N1 at the accident site had been closed in both directions to allow emergency and recovery operations to continue.
According to the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety, the bus lost control before leaving the roadway and falling into a roadside ditch at a section of the highway known for steep embankments.
“The exact cause of the accident remains unknown at this stage,” the department said in a statement, adding that investigations are under way.
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The vehicle reportedly remains lodged in the ditch, complicating efforts to immediately determine the full number of passengers who were on board at the time of the crash.
Emergency services from across Limpopo responded to the scene. The injured were transported to hospitals in Makhado and surrounding areas. The severity of their injuries has not yet been publicly detailed.
Provincial authorities have urged motorists travelling between South Africa and Zimbabwe to expect delays and to use alternative routes while the highway remains partially affected.
The crash occurred on the same stretch of the N1 that was the scene of a devastating DNC Coaches accident in October 2025 that claimed 43 lives.
That previous tragedy had raised renewed concerns over long-distance bus safety, vehicle roadworthiness, and driver fatigue on cross-border routes frequently used by Zimbabwean travellers.
Thursday’s crash is likely to revive those concerns, particularly given the high traffic volumes along the Gauteng-Beitbridge corridor.
South African authorities have not yet released the identities of the deceased.
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