Pretoria - The names of the eight South Africans killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday have been released by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco).
Dirco is rendering consular assistance to all the eight families.
The deceased were aged between 30 and 65 and came from different provinces across South Africa including Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, said Dirco on Wednesday.
One of the deceased had a dual SA-British citizenship and was based in Scotland, United Kingdom.
"The department has consulted with the families of the deceased and hereby releases their names with permission from their families," Dirco said.
The names are:
- Christian Johannes Justus Pretorius, aged 30, from Pretoria, Gauteng
- Fraser Angus Carey, aged 31, from Johannesburg, Gauteng
- Brandon Quinn Booth , aged 47, from Balgowan, KwaZulu-Natal
- Johan Abraham van Huyssteen, aged 31, from Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape
- Johan Frederick Bouchaud, aged 30, from Johannesburg, Gauteng
- Johannes Judenis Humphries, aged 65, from Centurion, Gauteng
- Steven Leong , aged 31, from Johannesburg, Gauteng
- Jenny Margaret Ayris, aged 46, from Scotland, United Kingdom
The eight victims had been employed by a private aviation company to work in Afghanistan when on Tuesday, a suicide bomber reportedly rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into their minibus. The eight staff as well as the driver of the vehicle were killed.
Three passers-by were also killed and two security officials were injured by the bombing that took place along the main road, leading to the airport in Kabul's sub-district 15.
Dirco said it was working with the company, as well as with Afghan authorities in making arrangements for the repatriation of the remains of the deceased.
President Jacob Zuma and government have expresses their deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased.
Government said it believed in peaceful means to settle disputes or conflicts while it also strongly condemned the use of violence, particularly violence that was targeted at innocent civilians.
