A preliminary report on the bus accident that killed six Riebeeckstad High School learners shows that the two wheels that came loose were most likely the cause of the bus accident.
The investigation has not yet been finalised.
Sindisiwe Chikunga, Minister of Transport, visited the accident scene on the R70 outside Senekal on Friday morning, 9 February.
Penelope Shibambu, an officer of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), who investigated the accident scene in colla-boration with police investigators, told the minister that a police mechanical expert had examined the bus and had so far been unable to identify the cause. He could not find a mechanical fault with the bus.
The bus left for Mool-manshoek near Rosendal last Monday, 5 February, and was apparently serviced the previous Friday.
Moments before the fatal accident, the two rear wheels had become loose, causing the bus to skid onto its side before it rolled and landed on its roof in a field.
Chikunga said she could see at the scene that the driver of the bus was really trying to maintain control of the vehicle.
“Sometimes an accident is just an accident. And lies and gossip tend to spread faster than the truth.”
After inspecting the scene of the accident, Chikunga visited the school and addressed the pupils and teachers.
Rian Schutte, a local farmer, was the first on the scene with another group of farmers.
He was also on the scene on Friday with the minister’s visit.
“Something like this shocks you. I myself also have a daughter who is in Gr. 8. Seeing that as a parent is bad.”
Brig. Motantsi Makhele, police spokesperson, says the police’s investigation is continuing.
