Durban - Bereaved families were inconsolable on Thursday during a mass memorial service for 16 people who died in a taxi accident at Shaka’s Head, near Ballito, earlier this week.
On Monday, the taxi tumbled down an embankment and landed on a railway track. An oncoming train crashed into it and 15 people were killed. Another person died later in hospital.
On Thursday some of the mourners were overcome by grief and fainted during the service, which was held at the Groutville sports ground, near Stanger.
They were treated by paramedics who had set up a temporary station.
undefinedSthembiso Khambule, the brother of 22-year-old chef Sphiwe Khambule, who survived the crash but died in hospital, described how he had rushed to the accident scene to look for his brother.
“We first went to the scene, but the bodies were already on the way to the mortuary. After searching for him among the victims we were told he might be in hospital, so we rushed there.”
Khambule said the doctors told the family his brother could die because he had severe head injuries.
“I went to his bedside to try to talk to him and encourage him to fight for his life, but he died just as I said: ‘Sphiwe, it’s your brother Sthembiso.’”
Sphiwe’s best friend, Thamsanqa Mbonambi, 25, was also killed in the crash.
Robert Mhlongo, whose brother Khulekani Dludla died in the accident, said they had heard rumours that the driver was speeding.
“We’ve heard the driver was speeding and didn’t stop at the stop street, but we don’t really know what happened. Attributing the blame to anyone is not going to bring my brother back, so if he is guilty we forgive him,” said Mhlongo.
Dludla, who was the father of eight children, will be buried in Mozambique on Sunday.
Speaking on behalf of other bereaved families, Joe Ntuli said they were still shaken by the sudden loss of their loved ones.
“We will be holding funerals in different places this weekend and the government and the Road Accident Fund have assisted us with the arrangements.”
The KwaDukuza Municipality, in Stanger, made a commitment to giving 10 families in their district an amount of R10 000 each towards the funeral expenses.
SA National Taxi Council provincial chairman Boy Zondi said the industry and impatient passengers would have to take some responsibility for the incident.
“It’s hard to console people who have lost their loved ones when you are somehow responsible for their loss. That taxi was overloaded and as the industry we need to take some responsibility,” he said.
Zondi said the taxi had the capacity to carry only 15 people but had 20 in it. “Our colleagues in the industry know this is against the law. It’s time passengers also stood up for themselves and refuse to be squeezed in when the taxi is full.”
He said some commuters pleaded with drivers to be “squeezed in” and volunteered to stand during the trip.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport Willies Mchunu said there were suspicions that the taxi driver was speeding and did not stop at the stop street, but he was awaiting a report from experts.
The Mercury