Grootfontein accident victims named

TEN of the 17 people who died in the horror accident near Grootfontein last week are likely to be laid to rest during a mass burial at Katima Mulilo on Saturday.

The remains of the other seven – all Zimbabwean citizens – are on their way back to their home country. Police yesterday released the names of all seventeen victims.The youngest occupant of the crushed VW Microbus was merely seven months old, while the oldest was 47.The Zimbabwean victims are Boniface Chivanga (30), Sifelani Zindoga (32), Mazarura Lovemore (6), Tienga Lovemore (47), Christopher Mararura (20), Leo Dube (18) and Privilage Muchiwa (18).The Namibians have been identified as Kushelukwa Ntembwe (5), Roster Mupilise Kufwa (28), Regina Sitali Simataa (31), Yarlene Namasiku Mwakamwi (9), Mamasiku Matiti (7 months), Judy Tikanyiso Luvana (29), Situnda Mary-Clare (41), Uyega Temus (28), Josef Samwele (22) and George Kasuto (21).A National Steering Committee has been established by the National Road Safety Council, the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA), the Namibia Red Cross Society, Nedbank, Namdeb and the Roads Authority.This committee is responsible for the funeral arrangements for the Namibian accident victims, as well as the repatriation of the other bodies to Zimbabwe.The committee has also set up a fund to take care of the funeral costs.By yesterday afternoon the fund had accumulated N$17 000.At a press conference in Windhoek, the MVA’s Manager for Corporate Affairs, Rosalia Martins-Hausiku, said the MVA Fund would contribute N$7 000 to the families of each victim for funeral arrangements.By yesterday afternoon, indications were that a mass burial will take place at Katima Mulilo on Saturday, as none of the families of the victims had objected to the idea.However, a number of elders still had to be consulted, the chairperson of the committee, Eugene Tendekule, told journalists.The bodies of the Zimbabwean victims will be transported in phases, starting tomorrow, Martins-Hausiku said.They will be transported from Tsumeb to Katima Mulilo and from there to the Victoria Falls, she added.The committee called on road users to take special caution during the last wave of holiday traffic beginning today.”Since we launched this campaign (last Friday), we’ve seen at least 30 more lives lost,” Martins-Hausiku said.Police yesterday released the names of all seventeen victims.The youngest occupant of the crushed VW Microbus was merely seven months old, while the oldest was 47.The Zimbabwean victims are Boniface Chivanga (30), Sifelani Zindoga (32), Mazarura Lovemore (6), Tienga Lovemore (47), Christopher Mararura (20), Leo Dube (18) and Privilage Muchiwa (18).The Namibians have been identified as Kushelukwa Ntembwe (5), Roster Mupilise Kufwa (28), Regina Sitali Simataa (31), Yarlene Namasiku Mwakamwi (9), Mamasiku Matiti (7 months), Judy Tikanyiso Luvana (29), Situnda Mary-Clare (41), Uyega Temus (28), Josef Samwele (22) and George Kasuto (21).A National Steering Committee has been established by the National Road Safety Council, the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA), the Namibia Red Cross Society, Nedbank, Namdeb and the Roads Authority.This committee is responsible for the funeral arrangements for the Namibian accident victims, as well as the repatriation of the other bodies to Zimbabwe.The committee has also set up a fund to take care of the funeral costs.By yesterday afternoon the fund had accumulated N$17 000.At a press conference in Windhoek, the MVA’s Manager for Corporate Affairs, Rosalia Martins-Hausiku, said the MVA Fund would contribute N$7 000 to the families of each victim for funeral arrangements. By yesterday afternoon, indications were that a mass burial will take place at Katima Mulilo on Saturday, as none of the families of the victims had objected to the idea.However, a number of elders still had to be consulted, the chairperson of the committee, Eugene Tendekule, told journalists.The bodies of the Zimbabwean victims will be transported in phases, starting tomorrow, Martins-Hausiku said.They will be transported from Tsumeb to Katima Mulilo and from there to the Victoria Falls, she added.The committee called on road users to take special caution during the last wave of holiday traffic beginning today.”Since we launched this campaign (last Friday), we’ve seen at least 30 more lives lost,” Martins-Hausiku said.