Frank Maponya

Frank Maponya

Compensation will be paid to the victims and relatives of the accident between two buses near Louis Trichardt last year that claimed the lives of 19 passengers.

This was agreed to by the Makhado municipality after the finalisation of the accident report.

The buses collided head-on on February 19 last year after one of the vehicles swerved to avoid a donkey. Fifty-eight passengers were seriously injured. The municipal compensation is R307589 to all victims and families of the dead.

The money was contributed to the Luvhalani Disaster Fund by businesses and the municipality. Municipality spokesman Louis Bobodi said the money would be distributed to beneficiaries before the end of this month.

Everyone will be compensated with an equal amount irrespective of the nature of their injuries . The families of the dead would receive less money than the injured, said Bobodi, because they had received food parcels and money to pay for coffins and tombstones.

"Each family of the 19 victims will receive R3500," said Bobodi. The injured will each receive R4156.

"With the provincial department of local government and housing we are helping the victims and families to submit claims to the Road Accident Fund," he added.

Bobodi said all victims had accepted the arrangement.