Bus full of Zimbabweans dodges doom, driver not so lucky

A bus full of people from Zimbabwe almost became a statistic in a gnarly pileup near Makhado. The smashup, which happened on the N1 highway by the Witvlag turnoff in Limpopo province, involved an Exo cross-border bus, a tanker truck, and a smaller hatchback car. According to a transport department rep named Matome Taueatsoala, only the bus driver got messed up enough to need a hospital. Everyone else on the bus, which was heading to Gauteng, walked away fine and just caught another ride.

The official blamed the wet and foggy weather for turning the road into a slip and slide. Authorities shut the N1 down for a while after the wreck, telling drivers to pump the brakes and be super careful. Taueatsoala said the backup from the crash was brutal, stretching both ways between Louis Trichardt and Musina. He straight-up told people to postpone their trips if possible.

For the poor souls already stuck in the mess, they suggested some convoluted detours. Drivers coming up from Musina should bail onto the R523 toward Siloam, then cut back to the N1 at Witvlag. Anyone going the opposite way, from Makhado toward Musina, needs to turn right at Witvlag, then left on the R523 to get back on the main highway at Willispoort. Basically, everyone was told to take the scenic route until the cleanup crew finishes.