President Thabo Mbeki vowed on Sunday that government would do everything in its power to ensure that the Workers’ Day bus accident which left 51 dead was ”never” repeated.
”What happened at the Saulspoort dam should not happen again”, he said, speaking at the Kimberley funeral service for 49 of the victims.
”Government will do everything necessary to ensure that we achieve this result”, Mbeki said.
Addressing the 15 000 to 18 000-strong crowd in the Galeshewe Stadium, outside Kimberley, acting transport minister Jeff Radebe promised a countrywide initiative to improve road signs.
He said the Department of Transport had already contacted the Free State government about inadequate road signage, especially on smaller roads.
Radebe also called for adequate emergency exits on public vehicles –particularly buses and minibus taxis.
”It is my fervent hope that the lingering tragedy of this disaster will help shock South Africans out of their apparent complacency when it comes to transportation safety.”
SA Communist Party secretary general Blade Nzimande called on white working class people to join the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu).
”To the Afrikaner workers in particular we want to say: your future, your language, and your rights as workers lie in joining cause with union (federations) like Cosatu.”
”Capitalist exploitation, retrenchments and joblessness know no colour.”
Despite heavy rains and bitter cold, thousands of mourners gathered at the stadium from as early as 5am on Sunday.
Around 2pm the 49 caskets were moved from the stadium to the nearby Weseinde cemetery, where they are to be buried side by side. – Sapa