Pretoria - Members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) who passed away after a vehicle accident in Ladysmith last Friday will be laid to rest at Chesterville cemetery in Durban on Sunday.
Deputy Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thabang Makwetla was expected to address a memorial service to be held at St Anne's Catholic Church on 585 Randles Road, Sydenham, in Durban today. The Memorial Service was scheduled to commence at 09h30.
The ministry said of the eight members who died, only three will be laid to rest with full military honours.
These are Private Sindiswa Cytronella Mkhize, 35, from Clayfied, Staff Sergeant Moferefere Daniel Maseme, 46, from Newlands East Phoenix and Private Noncebo Angel Ngcobo, 30, from Ntuzuma.
The fifteen members of 1 Medical Battalion Group based in Durban were traveling from Pretoria to Durban at the time of the accident.
Eight members died and seven others were injured in the crash involving three trucks and a mini-bus taxi on the N3 highway between Harrismith and Van Reenen's Pass in the Free State.
Of the survivors, one member is in a stable condition in a Ladysmith hospital while six others were evacuated to Bethlehem.
Meanwhile, the South African Police Service (SAPS) is investigating the accident.
Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, Acting Secretary for Defence Tsepe Motumi, the Chief of the South African National Defence Force, General Ngwenya, Surgeon General of the South African Military Health Service, Lieutenant General Vejaynand Ramlakan and Chief Defence Reserves, Major General Roy Andersen, have extended their sincerest condolences to the families and friends of the deceased.
