Cape Town - It was the end of Ishmael Phamoli’s last shift at Vizual Security when he climbed into the minibus taxi early on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old was on his way home to fetch his clothes in De Doorns, and was due to travel back to Cape Town yesterday to start an electrical engineering course at Northlink College this year.
He was one of nine passengers who died after their taxi smashed into a stationary truck on the N1 near De Doorns.
Other than Phamoli, seven of the dead guards have been identified: Prieska Nkabi, Mziwakhiwe Ngxingweni, Alfred Sobuza, Priscilla Esterhuizen, Fundile Gladile, Joseph Rasemeni and Moses Masimini.
Nine other passengers survived.
Sammy Setaka, Phamoli’s sister, said the family were both extremely sad and angry.
“He was coming from night shift, his last shift at the company.
“I can’t accept it – especially the way it happened. He was also very young.”
She said Phamoli lived with their father in De Doorns township.
“When I heard that there was an accident, I didn’t think he was in the taxi because he would have started his N2 electrical course soon, and I thought he was in Cape Town already. I phoned and phoned him.
“What makes me angry is to see in the media that it was a careless mistake, and that the driver survived.
“My father is taking it very hard.”
Wendy Struyweg, spokeswoman for Vizual Security, said the company had visited the families of the dead guards yesterday.
A memorial service would be held soon.
Provincial Department of Health spokesman Mark van der Heever said that, while eight survivors had been discharged from hospital on Tuesday, one victim remained in a critical condition at Tygerberg Hospital Intensive Care Unit.
Police spokesman FC van Wyk said the investigation was ongoing.
Cape Argus