Several top ANC officials who were set to attend the party's celebration in Limpopo rushed to a local hospital to visit bus crash survivors who were injured when the vehicle they were traveling in rolled over at GaSekgopo near Modjadjiskloof. 

The injured and the six people confirmed dead were travelling to the the party's 108th birthday celebration in Bolobedu near Tzaneen. Among the deceased was a female bus driver whose husband was also driving another bus to ANC's birthday party at Mohlabaneng village.

Limpopo ANC spokesman Donald Selamolela said the party's celebration didn't go as planned after ANC supporters and the bus driver died. 

"It is sad for the party because what was meant to be a celebration ended up being a tragedy; we would like to extend our deepest condolences to the affected families,"Selamola said. 

"We also would like to applaud comrades [home affairs minister] Aaron Motsoaledi, MEC for health Phophi Ramathuba and MEC for transport Dickson Masemola for their involvement in making sure that some lives are saved."

Both Motsoaledi and Ramathuba are medical doctors. Selamolela said the senior party officials and others didn't even get to Lebaka sports complex at Mohlabeng village for the celebration but followed the accident survivors to Kgapane and Mankweng provincial hospitals.  

He said the the celebration went ahead under difficult circumstances. 

The husband of the deceased bus driver, both of who work for the Great North Transport, said his wife was in a jovial mood ahead of their departure from Polokwane earlier on Sunday.

The bus driver lost control on R81 at the infamous hill in Sekgopo. 

The husband said he watched the bus driven by his wife getting into trouble before rolling over at accident-prone Sekgopo Hill area along the R81 to Giyani.  The man asked not to be named until their  families are properly informed about his wife's death in the accident.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula also sent his condolences to families whose loved ones died in the crash. According to Mbalula, all the deceased are females. MEC for social development Nkakareng Rakgoale also added her voice on the tragedy.  "Social workers will be dispatched to the survivors, bereaved families and other affected parties, to provide psychosocial support," she said.