The two Grade 10 Selborne College boys who died when the car their friend was driving ploughed into a tree in the early hours of Saturday morning were due to play in their school’s rugby derby day against Dale College just hours later.
Instead, under-16C rugby coach Alan Parsons had to break the tragic news to their teammates that Avuyile Ngqele and Sihlumile Bandile had died in the Gately Street crash – in which three other Selborne pupils were also injured.
“This is very tragic and shocking,” said Parsons, who is also the executive director of the Old Selbornian Association.
“People are just numb. The boys who died were going to play for the Selborne under-16B team against Dale and two of the injured were going to play in the under-16C team, but both were called off because of the tragedy.”
He said the other boys “burst into tears” when he told them the news.
“I had boys crying on my shoulder. They were absolutely gutted.”
Parsons described Ngqele and Bandile as “good friends and good kids”.
“They were nice, respectful kids. They played very good rugby and had a good possibility of going into the under-16A team. Bandile also played first team cricket,” he said.
The exact age of the boys could not be verified, but they were aged between 14 and 16.
Transport department spokesman Ncedo Kumbaca said the boys were using the Renault Duster without permission and were returning from Buccaneers’ sports pub and grill at the beachfront, when the vehicle smashed into the tree on Gately Street, midway between St Marks and St Andrews roads.
Ngqele died at the scene and Bandile passed away at Frere Hospital just after 7am.
Both had been passengers in the car.
Kumbaca said one of the boys’ parents had phoned them asking where they were.
“They said they were at home,” Kumbaca said.
“The parents said impossible because ‘we’re home’. The boys rushed home and collided with a tree.”
Kumbaca said both Ngqele and Bandile had to be removed from the vehicle with jaws-of-life metal-cutting equipment.
Frere Hospital CEO Rolene Wagner confirmed that three boys were admitted just after 4am.
She said one of the boys, believed to be the driver, was discharged shortly afterwards, while another passed away just after 7am.
The third boy was in a stable condition at the hospital yesterday.
The fourth boy was admitted to Life St Dominics Hospital where Life regional manager, Border-Kei and PE, Bruce Janssens said he was in a stable condition yesterday.
Shocked Selborne College public relations officer Jeff Fetting said three men arrived at the school at about 7.30am to inform principal Andrew Dewar of the accident.
He said pupils were “visibly upset” when informed of the tragedy.
“It is a shock to the whole school and we send condolences to their parents.”
Yesterday, the Selborne Foundation Trust posted on their Facebook page photographs of the two dead boys and wrote: “Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Sihlu and Avu’s family, friends, staff and classmates at this tragic time.”
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mtati Tana said yesterday that a case of culpable homicide had been opened at the Fleet Street Police station.
Tana said the mother of the driver of the vehicle would be giving police an official statement today and that once police investigations were completed, the 16-year-old driver would appear in the children’s court.
Metro emergency medical services paramedic Paul Fick said when he reached the accident at 3.25am, he encountered “a nightmare scene”.
“Any scene involving children is a paramedic’s worst nightmare.”
He said the vehicle, which had been travelling from the direction of the CBD, had shot onto the other side of the road and “wrapped itself around a tree”.
One of the injured boys told him the friends had been returning from Buccaneers.
Sombre moments of silence were held before the U16A team took to the field and before the main match of the Selborne-Dale derby day at Selborne on Saturday.
At 3pm, the Selborne and Dale first teams linked arms in the middle of the field with hands on hearts and were quiet for a moment in tribute to the players who lost their lives.
The Selborne first team then gathered around a Selborne flag, with their heads bowed, ahead of the clash, which was won by Dale College. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
SELBORNE MOURNS BOYS
Instead, under-16C rugby coach Alan Parsons had to break the tragic news to their teammates that Avuyile Ngqele and Sihlumile Bandile had died in the Gately Street crash – in which three other Selborne pupils were also injured.
“This is very tragic and shocking,” said Parsons, who is also the executive director of the Old Selbornian Association.
“People are just numb. The boys who died were going to play for the Selborne under-16B team against Dale and two of the injured were going to play in the under-16C team, but both were called off because of the tragedy.”
He said the other boys “burst into tears” when he told them the news.
“I had boys crying on my shoulder. They were absolutely gutted.”
Parsons described Ngqele and Bandile as “good friends and good kids”.
“They were nice, respectful kids. They played very good rugby and had a good possibility of going into the under-16A team. Bandile also played first team cricket,” he said.
The exact age of the boys could not be verified, but they were aged between 14 and 16.
Transport department spokesman Ncedo Kumbaca said the boys were using the Renault Duster without permission and were returning from Buccaneers’ sports pub and grill at the beachfront, when the vehicle smashed into the tree on Gately Street, midway between St Marks and St Andrews roads.
Ngqele died at the scene and Bandile passed away at Frere Hospital just after 7am.
Both had been passengers in the car.
Kumbaca said one of the boys’ parents had phoned them asking where they were.
“They said they were at home,” Kumbaca said.
“The parents said impossible because ‘we’re home’. The boys rushed home and collided with a tree.”
Kumbaca said both Ngqele and Bandile had to be removed from the vehicle with jaws-of-life metal-cutting equipment.
Frere Hospital CEO Rolene Wagner confirmed that three boys were admitted just after 4am.
She said one of the boys, believed to be the driver, was discharged shortly afterwards, while another passed away just after 7am.
The third boy was in a stable condition at the hospital yesterday.
The fourth boy was admitted to Life St Dominics Hospital where Life regional manager, Border-Kei and PE, Bruce Janssens said he was in a stable condition yesterday.
Shocked Selborne College public relations officer Jeff Fetting said three men arrived at the school at about 7.30am to inform principal Andrew Dewar of the accident.
He said pupils were “visibly upset” when informed of the tragedy.
“It is a shock to the whole school and we send condolences to their parents.”
Yesterday, the Selborne Foundation Trust posted on their Facebook page photographs of the two dead boys and wrote: “Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Sihlu and Avu’s family, friends, staff and classmates at this tragic time.”
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mtati Tana said yesterday that a case of culpable homicide had been opened at the Fleet Street Police station.
Tana said the mother of the driver of the vehicle would be giving police an official statement today and that once police investigations were completed, the 16-year-old driver would appear in the children’s court.
Metro emergency medical services paramedic Paul Fick said when he reached the accident at 3.25am, he encountered “a nightmare scene”.
“Any scene involving children is a paramedic’s worst nightmare.”
He said the vehicle, which had been travelling from the direction of the CBD, had shot onto the other side of the road and “wrapped itself around a tree”.
One of the injured boys told him the friends had been returning from Buccaneers.
Sombre moments of silence were held before the U16A team took to the field and before the main match of the Selborne-Dale derby day at Selborne on Saturday.
At 3pm, the Selborne and Dale first teams linked arms in the middle of the field with hands on hearts and were quiet for a moment in tribute to the players who lost their lives.
The Selborne first team then gathered around a Selborne flag, with their heads bowed, ahead of the clash, which was won by Dale College. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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