Buyi Hadebe’s mother wants the bodyguard of the premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Senzo Mchunu, to pay for robbing the family of their breadwinner.
Hadebe and Nonto Ximba, both teachers from Empangeni, died when the car they were travelling in collided head-on with one of Mchunu’s blue-light vehicles on the N2 near Nonoti in KwaDukuza on Friday last week.
They were on their way to Durban to attend a church service when the collision took place. Both were confirmed dead at the scene, while three others sustained injuries.
Thembisile Hadebe, Buyi’s mother wants those responsible for her death to face the full wrath of the law.
In an interview with the Sunday Tribune this week, Hadebe said, “I don’t hold grudges, but I want to see those who killed my child face consequences. I’m struggling to deal with the loss.”
Her hopes of getting out of poverty were shattered when her daughter died, she said. “She was my last hope. And God took her just when we were starting to reap the fruits of our hard work raising her. She had just started working in January. Things were starting to work out for her, but now she is gone.”
She added: “It’s like I’m dreaming and someone is going to wake me up and tell me that my daughter is alive.”
She described her 36-year-old daughter as a very polite person.
Hadebe, who was buried yesterday at KwaMbonambi in Empangeni, was to graduate in May.
Mchunu attended the funeral and is also expected to attend Ximba’s funeral tomorrow. The office of the premier contributed towards the costs of the funerals for both families.
Ximba’s sister, Nokuthula, said they were still shocked by her death.
“It’s just difficult for us to accept that she is gone. She was a lovely person, we are going to miss her so much. Her loss is surreal. She always had a smile on her face and she liked to make jokes,” she said.
While there is uncertainty whether Mchunu was present when the accident happened, his office has maintained that he was at home. They disputed claims that he was at the scene.
Meanwhile, the death of the two women has sparked a debate about the blue-light convoy, with some arguing that there was no need for it.
SAPS spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said, “KwaDukuza police are investigating two cases of culpable homicide.”
The premier’s spokesman, Ndabe Sibiya, said they would allow the police to do their investigation and would co-operate.
Sunday Tribune