Six miners killed after petrol bomb attack

The South African Police Service’s Limpopo commissioner‚ Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba‚ has assembled a high level team of investigators to track down the suspects responsible for the petrol-bombing of a bus that was transporting night shift mineworkers on Monday evening‚ killing six.

A reward of up to R500‚000 is also being offered for any valuable information that can lead to the arrest and possible conviction of the people responsible.

The task team comprises members of the Provincial Organized Crime‚ the Hawks and the Provincial Crime Intelligence.

Six people burnt beyond recognition after the fiery attack on the bus by unknown suspects. The bus immediately caught fire‚ instantly killing six people on board and injuring several others.

The gruesome incident took place at Driekop village outside Burgersfort when the bus stopped at the pickup point at around 8pm.

Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the bus was carrying about 50 mineworkers.

Four men and two women were killed. Twenty eight (28) were taken to hospital after suffering burn wounds.

"Preliminary investigations indicate that the Segweka Bus Service was busy collecting Modikwa Platinum Mine workers‚ going for a night shift‚ between 20:00 and 21:00 on Monday 2018-04-02. When the bus stopped at Driekop bus stop‚ two unknown suspects got into the bus and set it alight‚ using a highly flammable liquid. They then jumped out‚ leaving behind the bus already engulfed in huge flames‚" Mojapelo said.

"The motive for this incident is not known at this stage but our investigators are already making some follow ups to try and crack this case as speedily as possible."

“We will not sleep until the people responsible for this gruesome incident are apprehended‚” said General Ledwaba. “We call on community members to assist the police in their guest to swiftly crack this case and any valuable information received will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.”