DURBAN - Ntokozo Mbatha’s life has been shattered after her two sisters-in-law were killed in a bus crash that claimed 17 women’s lives.
The Ngwadi family and their relations lost eight women in last Saturday’s crash, in which the bus rolled down an embankment near Ntunjambili in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Mbatha, 32, said she was lucky to be alive. She was speaking to the Sunday Tribune from her home in Centecow village, near Bulwer, in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
Mbatha was to have been on the bus with the other women, but missed it after arriving late from her uMlazi home where she lives with her fiance.
The women were on their way to a traditional pre-marriage gift exchange ceremony, uMembeso, in Ntunjambili.
Twelve of the women on the bus were declared dead at the crash scene. Three more died later. The bride, Bawinile “Manzimande” Ngwadi, who sat in the bus seat reserved for Mbatha, died in hospital on Wednesday while the mourners were attending a memorial service. This was followed by the death of Khetheni “Maphoswa” Mdladla on Friday morning.
“It would have been me lying in the mortuary waiting to be buried,” Mbatha said.
She said the whole village was shaken. “We do not know who is the next victim to die in hospital. We are in tears.
“We have already gone through a lot of pain. I feel hopeless for my father-in-law who has lost a wife, daughters and daughters-in-law,” Mbatha said.
Police said yesterday that no arrests had been made and their investigations were continuing.
On Friday, Centocow was in mourning, with tents being erected for the funeral services which will take place this week and into next weekend.
Felani Duma’s grandson, Londa, 29, who was raised by his grandmother after his parents died, spoke of her horror death.
“She was very dear to me... This is sad and it is a difficult pill to swallow. She was my everything, losing her means that there will be no head in the family. I have to pick up the pieces and move on through the pain,” he said.
Meanwhile, three Ngwadi family members, mother Ntombifikile, daughters Khetheni and Nokukhanya, were laid to rest side by side at their home in the village.
The family lost eight members including extended family members who were expected to be buried next weekend in different areas.
Duma, 67, Nokubonga Mbanjwa, 39, Khethiwe Memela and Khethiwe Dlamini were also buried yesterday near their homes.
Another Ngwadi family relative Hlamukile Mdladla, 54, was expected to be buried today. Her younger sister Mavis Mdladla said she received news of her sister’s death while she was in a taxi on the way to visit her.
“It was a big blow, she was the only sister I had. But I find strength in that both her sons are grown up and they will be able to look after themselves.”
Road Safety Action founder Richard Benson accused government officials of turning a blind eye to road carnage and called on them to lower speed limits.
“At the rate we are going, by the end of the month we will have had more than 1 500 deaths on our roads. This is avoidable only if officials implement speed limits on national and city roads like in other countries. Otherwise, safety campaigns by the Department of Transport becomes fruitless. The maxi- mum limit on national roads should be 100km/h,” he said.