Four Dead in Limpopo After Bus Plunges Into Ditch En Route to Zimbabwe

• A tragic bus accident near Makhado left several dead, with investigations ongoing into the cause of the crash
• Transport MEC Violet Mathye confirmed four fatalities and highlighted the ongoing safety concerns at the accident site
• The latest crash follows a fatal bus accident in October 2025 near Louis Trichardt, also along the N1, in which 43 people died.

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

LIMPOPO, MAKHADO - Several people have died after a long-distance bus travelling from Gauteng to Zimbabwe veered off the N1 and plunged into a ditch near Ingwe Lodge outside Makhado on Thursday morning, 19 February 2026.

Vehicle remained in the ditch

The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety confirmed that the N1-29 has been closed in both directions following the crash. Emergency services are on site, and rescue and recovery operations are underway. Authorities initially said the exact number of fatalities and injuries could not be confirmed because the vehicle remained in the ditch.

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The Transport and Community Safety MEC, Violet Mathye, visited the scene. She said the accident occurred in the early hours of the morning at the same location where a deadly crash took place in October last year. Mathye confirmed that four people had been declared dead. She said the remaining passengers were taken to nearby hospitals in the Vhembe district.

Mathye described the location as a major concern, saying lives were being lost repeatedly at the same spot. She said the provincial government had previously raised the issue with the national minister and called for intervention. She added that it was still unclear whether the driver lost control due to speeding or a mechanical fault, and said the cause would form part of the investigation. She said she had not yet visited the hospitals at the time of speaking but would provide a full update after assessing the injured's condition.

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Second fatal bus accident on same road

The latest crash follows a fatal bus accident in October 2025 near Louis Trichardt, also along the N1, in which 43 people died. A joint investigation by the Department of Transport and the Road Traffic Management Corporation found that the bus was unroadworthy, overloaded and travelling at excessive speed when it left the road and plunged down a steep embankment.

Motorists have been urged to avoid the area and use alternative routes via the R523 Nzhelele Road. From Makhado, motorists should turn right onto the R523, from Musina turn left at Willysport, and from Siloam turn right onto the R523. Authorities said further updates would be issued as more information becomes available.

Limpopo authorities stop overloaded buses travelling to Zimbabwe

Briefly News also reported that officials in Limpopo pulled over two buses that were travelling to Zimbabwe, which were found to be overloaded.

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Authorities also remove several other vehicles from the road for serious violations of the road safety regulations.

Source: Briefly News