Acting Contralesa deputy provincial chairman Bukhosibakhe Brian Zibi, injured in a terrible car accident on the R56 between Ugie and Elliot on Friday morning, broke down when informed yesterday afternoon that his sister and her daughter who was nine months pregnant, had died in the accident.
“I was driving the car, but why is to be me who killed them?,” said Zibi when told by his church leaders and family members about the double deaths.
Zibi, who is the AmaHlubi senior traditional leader and the head of AmaHlubi Traditional Council in Ngxotshana near Mount Fletcher, suffered fractures to both femurs and injured his neck but is stable, eating and talking.
His sister, Nonyameko Zibi-Jungqa, 41, and her pregnant daughter Lelethu Jungqa, 22, died at the scene. Zibi was driving a Toyota Yaris when the accident happened at 2am on Friday.
“There was a group of cattle in the road. I had two options, either plough into them or avoid them. I decided to avoid them, but I lost control of the vehicle and it flew up in the sky.
“But the only thing I remember was that I was praying loudly to God. I shouted for help, but no help came. I did not know what happened to my sister and my niece and I woke up in hospital,” said Zibi.
He was admitted to Ugie Hospital but later transferred to Nelson Mandela Central Hospital and then Bedford Orthopaedic Hospital in Mthatha where he is being treated for the fractures.
Zibi and his sister were returning home to Mount Fletcher after fetching his niece from Port Elizabeth where she was doing an internship and studying at Nelson Mandela Metro University.
“I was going to drive them to Maluti where they live,” he said. Although the accident happened on Friday morning, he was only told yesterday of the deaths by his priest and Zibi’s wife, Nofihle.
The Contralesa provincial leadership, including acting provincial chairman Daluxolo Jezile and provincial treasurer Nokhakha Jumba, and other traditional leaders visited Zibi yesterday.
Jezile said: “We are faced with a big problem in the Eastern Cape of stray animals roaming on our roads and many people have died on the roads.
“How many people must die before the government does something about stray animals? Also, stock owners must do something about the animals and not let them stray.”
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chairman Ngangomhlaba Matanzima expressed shock.
Zibi called on his tribe and the province saying that he would well soon and be back at his job.
“It’s unfortunate that my sister, her daughter who was pregnant with a boy died, but God knows why,” he said — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Traditional leader injured in fatal crash
“I was driving the car, but why is to be me who killed them?,” said Zibi when told by his church leaders and family members about the double deaths.
Zibi, who is the AmaHlubi senior traditional leader and the head of AmaHlubi Traditional Council in Ngxotshana near Mount Fletcher, suffered fractures to both femurs and injured his neck but is stable, eating and talking.
His sister, Nonyameko Zibi-Jungqa, 41, and her pregnant daughter Lelethu Jungqa, 22, died at the scene. Zibi was driving a Toyota Yaris when the accident happened at 2am on Friday.
“There was a group of cattle in the road. I had two options, either plough into them or avoid them. I decided to avoid them, but I lost control of the vehicle and it flew up in the sky.
“But the only thing I remember was that I was praying loudly to God. I shouted for help, but no help came. I did not know what happened to my sister and my niece and I woke up in hospital,” said Zibi.
He was admitted to Ugie Hospital but later transferred to Nelson Mandela Central Hospital and then Bedford Orthopaedic Hospital in Mthatha where he is being treated for the fractures.
Zibi and his sister were returning home to Mount Fletcher after fetching his niece from Port Elizabeth where she was doing an internship and studying at Nelson Mandela Metro University.
“I was going to drive them to Maluti where they live,” he said. Although the accident happened on Friday morning, he was only told yesterday of the deaths by his priest and Zibi’s wife, Nofihle.
The Contralesa provincial leadership, including acting provincial chairman Daluxolo Jezile and provincial treasurer Nokhakha Jumba, and other traditional leaders visited Zibi yesterday.
Jezile said: “We are faced with a big problem in the Eastern Cape of stray animals roaming on our roads and many people have died on the roads.
“How many people must die before the government does something about stray animals? Also, stock owners must do something about the animals and not let them stray.”
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chairman Ngangomhlaba Matanzima expressed shock.
Zibi called on his tribe and the province saying that he would well soon and be back at his job.
“It’s unfortunate that my sister, her daughter who was pregnant with a boy died, but God knows why,” he said — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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