Mbeki prays for bus victims
2003-05-01 12:35
Johannesburg - President Thabo Mbeki observed a minute of silence on Thursday for the many Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) members who died when their bus crashed into a Free State dam, Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said.
Eighty people are feared dead in the May Day accident.
Speaking in Newtown, Johannesburg, Mbeki paid tribute to these workers, said to be members of the SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu).
The Newtown rally was not without its own mishap - a SA Police Service VIP protection unit officer was injured when the marquee in which Mbeki was to address the rally collapsed.
Police spokesperson Inspector Amanda Roestoff said she had no details of the officer's injuries, except that they were not serious.
The rally continued and Roestoff said Mbeki had begun his speech.
- SAPA