Families speak of their pain after accident

A mother of one of the four pupils who died when a bus ferrying them to school early this week told of the last precious time she spent with her “lovely” son moments before his horrific death. 

“Everyday when I wake up he would have already left for school,” she said. 

On this fateful day, Ntombifikile Dulaze, mother of the 15-year-old Thando Dulaze, said, his son came to the hut in which he was sleeping and had tea. 

“He did not normal do that. He would have his breakfast in the kitchen and later have tea outside while waiting for the bus. But on Monday he came to the hut I was sleeping in and had tea. He was telling me that he wanted to be a doctor and told me he would build me a big house when he was working,” she said.

Dulaze described her son as a very shy and quiet person. “Even if he was hurt he would not say a word. I would just see him cry,” she said. 

She said she was still struggling to come to terms with the news of her son’s death. “It is like I am having a bad dream and someone is going wake me up,” she said. 

Dulaze said she did not know that when her son was saying his goodbyes it was her last time seeing him alive. “My heart is in pieces. It is like part of me is gone,” she said. 

 Other pupils who died in the accident are Masiviwe Qatsi and brothers Mandilakhe and Siphumle Magungxe. 

 Masiviwe Qatsi’s aunt Thandeka Qatsi said she was inside a house when she heard heartrending screams in the village. “I went outside to investigate.I was told that the bus transporting pupils to school was involved in an accident,” she said. 

Qatsi said she then rushed to the scene of the accident. “On my arrival I asked from people who were already there if they did to see my nephew. They all said they did not see him,” she said. 

She said she then saw a body covered with a jacket. “Since the body was covered, I recognised him with his socks. I immediately knew something horrible had happened to him,” she said. 

The Magungxu family suffered a double blow as their two children died after they succumbed to injuries they sustained in the accident. 

Mandilakhe Magungxu and Siphumle Magungxu’s older brother Siphosethu said on his arrival at the accident scene he rushed his brothers and another person to hospital. 

“Their condition was very bad, but I had hope that they would pull through, however it was not to be,” he said. 

He said their mother who cannot talk because of a stroke was struggling to deal with the loss. “We just see tears streaming down her cheeks. Although she does not talk, the pain is written all over her face,” she said. 

Four other pupils who survived the accident are still in hospital while others were treated and discharged. 

The 65-seater bus had 90 pupils at the time of the accident. 

It is alleged that the driver lost control of the bus after its brakes failed. 

This week the education department sent a team of psychologists and counsellors to the school and to the family of the deceased. 

"Our prayers are with the families who lost their children during this accident. We hope they find solace in the Lord, God in this difficult time of thier lives," said the head of education department Themba Kojana.