Report finds negligence, overloading and speeding led to Limpopo bus crash that killed 43

By Johnathan Paoli

Speeding, negligence, overloading, and severe mechanical failure combined to cause the Limpopo bus crash that killed 43 people last week on the N1 North, according to preliminary findings released by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).

The preliminary report found that the vehicle was “grossly unroadworthy”, with only five of its 10 brakes working, one brake completely non-functional, and all four brakes on its trailer failing.

Investigators also found that the trailer’s suspension had been poorly repaired, leaving the bus with only half its intended braking capacity.

The department of transport (DOT) released the preliminary findings this weekend.

The RTMC said the driver was travelling too fast for the mountain pass conditions and had been compensating for the brake defects by adjusting his driving style — a strategy that failed when the vehicle began descending the steep N1 pass.

The bus had been travelling from Gqeberha in