Cape Town – Two weeks after a collision between a taxi and a truck left eight people dead in Leeu-Gamka, two Hout Bay families say they are still struggling to bury their loved one.
Five people, who were travelling to the Eastern Cape for a family funeral, were involved in a crash when a truck, heading towards Cape Town, collided with two taxis.
The Ndude family lost two family members; the Dlakane family lost three members.
Nomzamo Dlakane said although the family was devastated by the loss, more painful was their inability to transport the bodies to the Eastern Cape.
“The family is planning on burying the family members in Nqamakwe, but we are currently struggling to secure funds to get the bodies transported to the Eastern Cape. It has been some time for people that have died in that manner to be still not buried. And we are worried that the more they are kept at the morgue the more the costs will accumulate and burden the families,” she said.
Sindiswa Manxeba, from the Ndude family, said when the family approached the Road Accident Fund (RAF) for assistance they were told they no longer offered the service.
“In our endeavours to try, and it was recommended that we approach the RAF to assist with the funeral, we were told they do not do that anymore. They told us that their laws have changed, but are not telling us how they have changed and what assistance they can provide. They only said that they no longer bury people that have died due to accidents.
“We appeal to anyone that might have anything to help us bury the five bodies as we are concerned that we are running out of time,” she said.
Community leader Samkelo Krweqe, who has been assisting the families, said the treatment the families received was unacceptable.
“In such a horrific accident, government involvement is needed because for a family to bury a maximum of three people at once is a lot,” she said.
The Road Accident Fund was approached for comment but did not respond by deadline.
Cape Argus