3 hours agoZCC families confront uneven path to compensation

More than two years after a devastating bus crash claimed 45 lives near Mmamatlakala in Limpopo, South Africa, at least 20 families affected by the tragedy are poised to receive compensation from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) before year’s end. The crash, which occurred on March 28, 2024, involved a bus carrying Zion Christian Church (ZCC) pilgrims from Molepolole to Moria for Easter celebrations. The vehicle reportedly lost control on a bridge and ignited, killing 45 worshippers and leaving an eight-year-old girl as the sole survivor with severe injuries.

For the families left behind, the path to compensation has been fraught with grief and legal complexity, particularly for those from Botswana. While some families are now nearing financial relief, others face the prospect of receiving nothing. Approximately 10 of the 45 families involved in the claims process have been deemed ineligible after failing to meet the RAF’s criteria.

Lawyers representing the bereaved are actively seeking ways to assist those excluded from compensation. The initial group of around 20 families, mostly from Molepolole, is expected to receive payouts if the claims process proceeds as planned. This development follows the completion of a confidential assessment report that evaluated the claims of all 45 families, determining which qualify for compensation.

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Khumiso Tshephe of Tshephe Legal Practice in Gaborone confirmed the report’s completion. “It is true that the assessment report is out,” she said, adding that claim documents for at least 20 families have now been submitted to the RAF. Months of meticulous work by legal teams have gone into assessing the financial losses these families endured.

On May 1, 2026, Tshephe and her South African counterpart, Amigo Ndlovu of Ndlovu Attorneys, visited Molepolole to present each affected family with an actuarial report detailing their loss-of-support claims. The reports took into account a range of factors: the deceased’s earnings, financial contributions to dependents, dependency calculations, income apportionment, actuarial assumptions, calculation methods, and tax considerations. Each claim was explained individually to ensure families fully understood how their compensation figures were derived.

“I am optimistic that the first batch will receive their compensation before the end of the year if everything goes according to plan,” Tshephe said. She also noted that legal teams in Botswana and South Africa continue exploring avenues to support families who did not qualify. The exclusion of about 10 families was largely because the deceased did not have recognized direct dependents who met the RAF’s beneficiary requirements.

Ndlovu highlighted that the claims process was further delayed by challenges in obtaining key documents from the South African Police Service. Legal teams were often redirected between offices before finally securing the necessary paperwork. For the families mourning the loss of their loved ones, the compensation represents more than financial aid—it could bring long-awaited closure and a measure of justice after a heartbreaking ordeal.

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