On Sunday night, a VW Polo carrying two women, two children and a man met a bus head-on on the N6 between KuGompo City, the new name for East London, and Stutterheim in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. The car ended up wedged beneath the bus.
All five in the Polo died. Rescuers had to use the Jaws of Life to cut the bodies free. Eastern Cape transport spokesperson Makhaya Komisa said the two vehicles were travelling in opposite directions when they hit.
The bus held Zimbabweans, about 60 of them according to News24 and The South African, and 66 by the count Komisa gave to IOL. News24 reported it was believed to have just left East London on its way to Zimbabwe. The number hurt is less clear. The South African put it at about 60, while Komisa’s figure was 66 with minor injuries, and one passenger seriously hurt. The injured were taken to hospital.
Police case opened
Komisa said the cause would be examined by several law enforcement agencies. Police at Stutterheim have opened a case of culpable homicide and reckless driving. Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha offered condolences to the bereaved families, wished the injured a speedy recovery and urged drivers to obey road rules.
The ages of the victims were not confirmed, and it was not clear whether the five were related.
Earlier crashes involving Zimbabwe-bound buses
News24 placed the crash alongside other recent accidents involving buses carrying Zimbabweans. Last month, five people travelling from Gauteng to Limpopo died near Makhado when their bus driver lost control. They had been due to change buses in Limpopo and continue to Zimbabwe. In October 2025, 42 passengers from Zimbabwe and Malawi were killed on the N1 in Limpopo when their bus left the road on a steep mountain pass and plunged down an embankment. They had set out from Gqeberha. News24 counted those Limpopo incidents as 47 lives lost.
Sources
- Tragic N6 crash claims five lives as VW Polo is trapped under bus – IOL
- Two children among 5 people killed in head-on collision with bus carrying 60 passengers – News24
- Five killed, 60 injured in Eastern Cape head-on crash – The South African
