Botswana: The Commissioner of Police, Dinah Marathe took the opportunity to meet the bereaved families of the bus tragedy victims. She assured the families of the support of the government in facilitating their healing journeys.
At the same time, she assured them that the government is working hard to get the bodies of the tragedy victims repatriated to Botswana. The Commissioner of Police has been keeping in touch with the families and informing them about the various steps.
She addressed the families most recently in Molepolole on Tuesday. At the event Commissioner Dinah Marathe stated that the Botswana Police Service has collaborated with the South African Police Service.
They are working around the clock to speed up the process of identifying the remains of unidentified victims to expedite their repatriation.
She further informed the families that of the 45 victims of the accident which happened in South Africa right before Easter, only Six have been identified. The Commissioner noted that the remaining unidentified 39 victims have been burnt beyond recognition.
However, she assured me that they are undergoing a Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test for identification. Commissioner Marathe pleaded with the families of the victims to be patient with the Police and continue to cooperate. She announced that the DNA identification process might take some time.
The Commissioner also informed affected families that the repatriation process will commence once the identification process is complete. Further, it was also clarified that the Government of Botswana will bear all the expenses.
The Minister of Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Kabo Morwaeng, who is also a Member of Parliament for Molepolole South, reiterated that the Government is doing everything to support the Police in repatriating the bodies of all the victims.
Furthermore, he appealed to those affected and needing any assistance to visit the office of the District Commissioner.
The accident, which claimed the lives of 45 Botswanan nationals, has been one of the biggest tragedies the country has faced. The incident had a nationwide impact. Accordingly, the government has been working hard to address some of the repercussions that the members of the family are facing.
The administration has offered the grieving families counselling and mental health support to deal with the profound loss.