President Thabo Mbeki on Monday sent his condolences to the government and people of South Sudan after a plane crash which claimed the lives of a minister and twenty people.

The department of foreign affairs said Mbeki telephonically extended South Africa's condolences to Sudan's first vice president and president.

"Please accept your excellency, on behalf of the government and people, our heartfelt condolences. The government and people of South Africa join in thought and prayer with the government and people of South Sudan and in particular those families who lost loved ones," said Mbeki.

South Africa stood ready to assist the people within its limited resources in whatever manner possible to lessen the burden of pain, he said.

The bodies of south Sudan Defence Minister Dominic Dim Deng and five others killed in the crash arrived in Juba on Saturday.

Deng's plane went down on Friday, 375 kilometres from Juba, killing everyone on board, including several army officers.

The plane that crashed had been rented from a charter company and was carrying a delegation of leaders of the southern Sudan People's Liberation Movement from Wau to the capital Juba, 450 kilometres miles to the southeast.