Advertisement

May God “comfort you all at this time of mourning”: Church Leaders in South Africa to Botswana after Easter Accident

Official logo of the South African Council of Churches (SACC). Credit: SACC

By ACI Africa Staff

Gaborone, 03 April, 2024 / 9:58 pm (ACI Africa).

Officials of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) have condoled with the people of God in Botswana following the fatal Easter holiday bus crash that killed 45 Batswana Easter pilgrims, an eight-year-old girl being the only survivor.

The bus that had members of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) on board was on its way from Botswana to Moria, a South African town located in Northern Limpopo Province where a popular annual Easter festival takes place.

The driver reportedly lost control of the bus, veering off the bridge near Mokopane village, and crashed it into a ravine before the bus burst into flames.

In a Monday, April 1 statement, the President SACC, the Council that includes representatives of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC), describes the March 28 accident as “a tragedy of great proportions.”

“The South African Council of Churches (SACC) expresses its deepest condolences to our neighbors - through the Botswana Council of Churches - the people of Botswana on the tragedy that befell 45 members of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) who were traveling from Botswana on the R518 on the annual holy pilgrimage to Moria,” says Archbishop Thabo Makgoba.

Advertisement

He adds that SACC members “are left deeply wounded by the emotional weight of this accident, and we join you all in prayer at this time.”

Archbishop Makgoba prays that ZCC members, families and friends of the accident victims may receive solace, saying, “May the Lord comfort you all at this time of mourning, and may you all experience an outpouring of the Holy Spirit - our Comforter.”

“As the mortal remains of the deceased are painstakingly gathered for repatriation, we pray for the repose of all the souls, saying Godspeed to the bereaved families,” he adds. 

On Tuesday, April 2, South Africa’s Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla, said that the process of identifying and repatriating bodies is ongoing. 

Meanwhile, the Limpopo Provincial Health Minister, Phophi Ramathuba, has been quoted as telling journalists on Wednesday, April 3 that doctors were happy with the progress that the sole survivor, Atlang Siako, was making.

More in Africa

Kenya

Day after Bishops’ Fiery Statement, President of Kenya Says University Funding Model Issues “will soon be resolved”

Read the article

“She is in a position where we can now release her to her home because at the same time the psychological impact of being away from home does have an impact on the total, complete healing,” Minister Ramathuba said.

In the SACC statement, the leadership expresses spiritual solidarity with Atlang Siako, saying, “To the little girl whose life was spared in this sad incident, the SACC prays for healing, love, and support to her throughout this traumatic experience.”

SACC officials also condoled with families “whose lives have been irreparably altered” in road accidents during the Easter weekend. 

The entity’s Acting General Secretary, Rev Mzwandile Molo, has called on drivers “to make sure that as we drive, we drive with a commitment to safety and the security of life.”

“We pray for everyone to get home safely, and to be received into the arms of those that are waiting for them ahead of the rest of the working week,” the SACC official has been quoted as saying. 

Trending

Advertisement

ACI Africa Staff

ACI Africa was founded in 2019. We provide free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Catholic Church in Africa, giving particular emphasis to the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See, to any person with access to the internet. ACI Africa is proud to offer free access to its news items to Catholic dioceses, parishes, and websites, in order to increase awareness of the activities of the universal Church and to foster a sense of Catholic thought and culture in the life of every Catholic.

You may also like

The Vatican and Microsoft have created a 3D digital model of St. Peter’s Basilica using the latest in artificial intelligence to offer a new way to experience the nearly 2,000-year history of the tomb of St. Peter. / Credit: Microsoft La Basilica Di San Pietro: AI-Enhanced Experience

Discover the History of St. Peter’s Basilica in New Microsoft Oline AI-enhanced 3D Model

Accessible worldwide at virtual.basilicasanpietro.va, the free interactive platform allows anyone in the world to “visit” the virtual 3D model of...

An external view of the Chapel of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem during the procession of the Franciscan friars after the first vespers of the Ascension solemnity on May 8, 2024. The procession circled the chapel three times. / Credit: Marinella Bandini

Catholics Ascend to Mount Olives, Site of Jesus’ Ascension, Only Day They Can Use Chapel Currently Under Muslim Control

“I’m excited to have come to pray in the actual place of the Ascension... I want to be closer to...

Pope Francis arriving at the meeting with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and catechists in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Dili, East Timor, Sept. 10, 2024. / Vatican Media

Catholics in East Timor Welcome Pope Francis to their Island "oasis" of Religious Vocations

Speaking in Dili's cathedral, Pope Francis challenged East Timor's Catholic leaders to renew evangelization efforts, declaring that the nation's position...