Family, loved ones, colleagues and George residents gathered on Tuesday to pay their final respects to one of the victims of the Victoria Street building collapse tragedy, electrician intern Siphesihle ‘Sihle’ Mehlo, 20.
Mehlo – one of two student electrician interns from Africa Skills Private College – was among the 34 fatalities recorded in the deadly multi-storey building collapse on May 6 just after 2pm.
Mehlo’s family spokesperson, Gugulethu Khonono, confirmed they were now preparing for the funeral which will take place at the weekend.
In a statement, Africa Skills Private College said they were grateful that both learners were retrieved. However, by request of the other learner’s family, the identity would not be made public.
Mehlo started her apprenticeship of three years in January 2023 and was a learner at the Industria campus of Africa Skills Private College for the last 16 months.
Both were conducting their scheduled host employer workplace exposure under professional supervision of a qualified artisan during the deadly implosion.
Chief executive of the UXi Artisan Development, Elsie Harmse, said while they anticipated news about Mehlo they were “clinging onto the hope, and they continued praying for a miracle”.
Meanwhile, Garden Route District municipal manager Monde Stratu shared words of appreciation to roleplayers involved in the search and rescue operations.
Stratu visited the site daily to come to terms and to understand the intensity of the incident and rescue mission.
In offering condolences to those who lost loved ones, Stratu emphasised that the whole Garden Route grieves with them.
“As you mourn the loss of your mother, father, son, daughter or sibling, remember the entire Garden Route mourns with you. May their departed souls rest in peace.”
In a statement, the Garden Route District Municipality said: “No one could have known that the Garden Route would be faced with such a tremendous nightmare, but to witness the people of George and Garden Route coming together to pray and provide support in this incident that created a tremendous cloud of adversity over the town, one can only take from it a lifetime of memories created by the incident.
“The dedicated rescue services and support provided by the golden hearts through their good deeds to those involved in the rescue mission, are just a few to be mentioned.”
Cape Times