Another 45 members of the Zionist Christian Church (ZCC) were seriously injured in the crash near South Africa’s city of Polokwane.

About 70,000 members of the church had travelled to Zimbabwe’s second city of Bulawayo for the weekend conference and the opening of a new church.

South African Home Affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma on Monday expressed shock at the deaths. 
“It is indeed a sad moment for those of us at Home Affairs who facilitated the smooth movement of these ZCC members in and out of South Africa for their prayer session in Zimbabwe, “she said in a statement.

“We can only imagine the pain and sorrow that death has brought to bear on the families of those who perished in this accident. 
Yet we express the hope that they can draw inspiration from the knowledge that the nation shares in their bereavement.”
The ZCC is one of the largest African-initiated churches in southern Africa, with membership all over the region.