Cape Town - Nosisa Mbongolo had just got out of a taxi with her two-year-old son Kwanani when the boy was hit and killed by a driver who fled the scene and sought refuge at a police station.
Mbongolo 32, said she had been returning from church with Kwanani when they reached their stop. She had lifted him out of the taxi and put him down briefly when the car hit the toddler in Oliver Tambo Road in Kosovo informal settlement, Philippi, on Sunday afternoon.
Angry residents wanted to attack the driver but he fled to a nearby police station. He then asked the police to escort him back to the scene.
However, police spokesman FC Van Wyk could not confirm whether the man had been arrested after the incident.
City of Cape Town traffic spokesman Richard Coleman said, however, that the road was closed for two hours on Sunday after the accident.
“(The driver’s) excuse was that he thought he hit a dog,” said Mbongolo.
“How can you not see a child who is almost two years old? He was in my arms in the taxi. When I was getting out of it, I put him down to close the door of the taxi.
“The car did not slow down when it approached the speed bump. I saw it coming very fast. Just after the taxi left, I heard a sound. When I looked to see where it came from, I saw (my son) on the ground.”
She struggled to talk about the traumatic event and wiped away tears with her jacket.
“I don’t remember anything after that. My mind did not work properly. I collapsed. It is painful to lose your child the way I lost Kwanani. It is best to lose your son knowing that you as a parent tried to save their life, but when something like this happens, you feel like there is no tomorrow,” she said.
“I will remember everything about my son. He was an adorable child who liked playing and laughing. I had big dreams for him. The way he was active, you would not think he is just two. I don’t know how I will get over this pain,” Mbongolo said.
She did not want to know the identity of the driver nor have any contact with him.
“He killed my son. I don’t want to know who he is or his apology. There is nothing he can do to replace him. He stole my son’s life. If he was responsible, he could have slowed down,” said Mbongolo.
Fundiswa Mthungesi, a family friend, took over the narrative as Mbongolo broke down again.
“I heard people screaming. I quickly rushed to the scene. As I was approaching, someone told me that a child had been knocked down by a car. I could not believe what I saw. It was like a nightmare,” Mthungesi said.
Cape Times