By ZR Reporter
A Malawian man has died after falling ill while travelling on a repatriation bus from South Africa, in an incident that has left authorities waiting for medical examinations to determine what caused his death.
The man was among a group of migrants being transported from the Musina Temporary Repatriation Centre to Malawi through Zimbabwe under South Africa’s ongoing repatriation programme.
Limpopo Department of Home Affairs head Albert Matsaung said everything had proceeded normally before the buses departed from the centre, with passengers boarding between midday and early afternoon.
However, the journey was interrupted when one of the passengers suddenly became unwell.
According to Matsaung, the bus had travelled roughly 15 kilometres from the centre when the driver was alerted to the medical emergency. Realising the seriousness of the situation, the driver immediately turned back and headed for the repatriation centre.
Witnesses on the bus told officials that the man complained of feeling unusually hot before collapsing.
“The information that we received from the bus driver and from the people that were with the deceased person is that he just said, ‘I’m feeling hot, temperatures are up.’ Then he took off his shirt, and then from there he collapsed,” Matsaung said.
Once the bus returned, emergency medical personnel and police responded to the scene. Despite their efforts, the man was pronounced dead.
Matsaung said authorities are yet to establish what led to the man’s death, adding that the matter has been handed over to the relevant health authorities for further investigation.
“Do we know the circumstances regarding the death? No, we don’t,” he said.
Officials have since confirmed that the deceased was a Malawian national.
© Zambia Reports | July 6, 2026
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