Gigaba, Deputy Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga, Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza and MEC for safety, security and liaison Vusi Shongwe called for the farmer and the owner of the truck that carried the people to work to also be arrested.

Said Gigaba: "The blood that was shed and the lives that were lost are placed in the the hands of (the farmer and truck owner).

"The accident was caused by recklessness. It could have been prevented had the people took decisions not been reckless.

"The Government must intervene so that people do not continue dying because of recklessness. The farmer and truck owner must be arrested and convicted."

Provincial police spokesman Colonel Leonard Hlathi said yesterday that police investigations were continuing. "Police will leave no stone unturned. The forensic lab is looking at the truck to determine certain things." Hlathi said.

"We are looking into all aspects in our investigation and heads will roll."

Meanwhile Deputy Minister Chikunga said the department was engaging with Transnet to explore ways of making level crossings safer.

"Motorists must remember that the train has 100% right of way at a level crossing and should stop when they approach one," she said. "A train can't slow down but a car can.

"We are also looking into installing boom gates at level crossing and we will have people to open them for motorists."

She said there were 3,115 legal railway level crossings in the country and a thousand more illegal ones.

• A dark cloud hanged over Kamhlushwa Stadium near Tonga on Saturday during the victims' funeral service.

The 24 farmworkers died after a truck they were travelling in was hit by a train at a level crossing on the N4 Highway in Hectorspruit near Malelane last Friday.

The families of the deceased were already seated when the coffins were brought into the stadium.

Loud cries and screams were the order of the day.

Relatives and close friends of the deceased collapsed and had to be attended to by paramedics.

Before the service had even started, paramedics had attended to about 40 people who had collapsed.

Queen of Gospel Rebecca Malope brought comfort to the families and community with her performance.

Gospel group Avante and gospel star Sipho "Big Fish" Makhabane also performed at the service.

The Mpumalanga provincial government has open an account to assist the deceased's families and survivors. - mashabas@sowetan.co.za

Comments

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Fri May 24 23:25:58 SAST 2013 ::

Jul 23, 2012

DaTruth

RIP, my condolences for all that lost their loved one, hope 1 day they will find a way to forgive the man it was not his intention to take away your love ones. Having said that heads must still roll, someone have to take the wrap for this catastrophe, 1way or another.
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Jul 23, 2012

ntyantya

May the souls of the departed rest in peace and perpetual light shine upon them. If I may ask without sounding insensetive, why should the farmer be arrested for a driver that was reckless and palyed God with our people's lives? unless they are saying the farmer was the master mind behind this horrible incident.
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Jul 23, 2012

uMnuz

Lost for words... Condolences to all the families affected by this needless tragedy.
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Jul 23, 2012

IamTheFinalSay

@ntyantya
i am with you, i also don't understand why the farmer should be arrested? Were the PUTCO CEOs arrested in the latest PUTCO bus crash in which 19 or so people died?
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Jul 23, 2012

Mrazane

When will people take responsibility for their actions, why is the farmer and truck owner being bought into this? If it is said the truck had faulty brakes that we reported and the farmer/truck owner refused to fix it then I can understand mara out of the blue nje...? hayi man. If we going to play the blame game then the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Transport must also be arrested for not ensuring the rights of farms workers are protected and the transport department for failing to point manned booms at all level crossing how is that for a good strong blame culture?

Sorry to the familiies may God give you strength.
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Jul 23, 2012

Tshikhokhonono

@ntyantya & IamTheFinalSay
The farmer's fault is to transport people in a closed truck that had no seats, windows or proper ventilation in place. The victims did not see the truck approaching the level crossing and many of those died could have survived had the truck had safety at the back where the workers stood up.
Some farmer over the weekend was seen transporting workers in a trailer pulled by a tractor.
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Jul 23, 2012

thathakonke

Shame man, imagine all those children who were declared orphans on Saturday by someone who palyed God with their parents. May their souls rest in peace. I really hope something is done regarding this level crossing incident.
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Jul 23, 2012

somaartakeit

@Tshikhokhonono the cause of death is linked to the truck not having windows/seats/or ventilation at the back where workers were being transported? Anything to blame the farmer neh?
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Jul 24, 2012

golly459

May the souls of all 24 rest in peace, Condolences to all the families

As they said,"Motorists must remember that the train has 100% right of way at a level crossing and should stop when they approach one," "A train can't slow down but a car can.
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Even if the truck brake and everthing was not working why the driver did not turn the truch hit a tree or anything instead of going strait to the train (Truck driver's fault)
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@Tshikhokhonono
To transport people in a closed truck that had no seats, windows or proper ventilation in place. The victims did not see the truck approaching the level crossing and many of those died could have survived had the truck had safety at the back where the workers stood up. Definately agree with you(Farmer's Fault) both must be arrested.

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Jul 24, 2012

TDK

Minister is making reckless statement, which he doesn't justify.
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