Johannesburg - “I have no kids now.”
This was the heart-wrenching reaction of Thandi Mayisela after three of her children died in the horrific collision which killed 20 people between Bronkhorstspruit and Verena on Friday afternoon.
The tragedy struck after a minibus taxi, which was contracted to transport school children, collided with a heavy truck, leaving 18 pupils and two adults dead, including the taxi driver.
The taxi burst into flames after the collision and most of the victims burnt beyond recognition while seven other pupils were admitted to a local hospital after sustaining serious burn injuries.
On Saturday, the victims’ families were still baffled about the cause of the accident. A devastated Mayisela on Saturday recounted how she rushed to the local hospital hoping all her children had survived.
“I have no kids now, they all died in that accident. My children were close to each other and they were very humble. They were also focused on their school work.
“They protected each other, especially their young sister, and no one would hurt her in front of their eyes,” Mayisela said.
The mother told The Sunday Independent team, which visited the crash scene and various families of the victims on Saturday, that she would miss her children, especially her last born child Nokuthula, who used to help her with household chores.
“My first-born child, Thapelo, was a leader in the house and he even owned a football team. Sibusiso was quiet and helpful as he used to pamper me with food and offered me pills when I was sick,” Mayisela said.
She also remembered how a day earlier Nokuthula told her about her plans to form a Sarafina group and later finding her at home “dancing to Sarafina songs with her team”.
Siphiwe Mahlangu lost her nine-year-old daughter Nqobile Mtsweni, a Grade 3 pupil.
“She liked joking, dancing and singing. You would find her playing and singing with her year-old brother,” she said.
Mahlangu said she was hoping Nqobile would reach her dreams of becoming a doctor one day. She was very brilliant at school and I was expecting bigger things from her. She was always happy to go to school.”
She was overcome with emotion as she explained how painful it was when she viewed the wreckage of the taxi which ended the life of her daughter and the other victims.
“I was shocked when my husband called to inform me. The fire was still strong when I arrived it was not easy to witness that,” she said.
Nqobile’s aunt Emma Mahlangu said she used to give her niece special treatment every time she visited.
“She would make me tea without having to ask her. And she would share jokes with me,” she said.
Equally devastated Chrissie Brentjies, a partially blind mother of three, agonised about losing her daughter who at times acted as a guide for her when she did her shopping. Brentjies said her daughter Jabulile Mtsweni would direct her to the various stores while shopping.
Jabulile was the last born. “I would never go anywhere without Jabulile,” she said.
Shantell Mtsweni, Jabulile’s sister, added: “I used to cook for her every morning and I would go with her to the taxi station to catch the same taxi which claimed her life.”
Mpumalanga MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Refilwe Mtsweni said the provincial government was devastated by the crash. “We would like to tell drivers not to overload the taxis,” she said. Similar sentiments were expressed by Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi, who was among the first officials to arrive at the crash scene.