Durban - The Hammarsdale family of a paramedic killed on Saturday while trying to save the lives of a mother and her baby, are struggling to come to terms with his death.
Bongani Madubela was in a Emergency Medical Services ambulance, attending to the patients, when it collided head-on with an Audi sedan on the Higginson Highway in Chatsworth.
They were being transferred to RK Khan Hospital from Hlengisizwe Clinic in Hammarsdale.
The driver of the car died at the scene, while the ambulance driver was seriously injured.
The Daily News visited Madubela’s family in Mpumalanga, Hammarsdale, where his fiancée, Bongiwe Ntini, and son, Alwonde, 3, were surrounded by family.
The family described Madubela, 41, as a supportive breadwinner of the family of nine.
He was a paramedic for 10 years and loved his job, having worked as a security guard for many years before that.
Bongiwe, who sat quietly on a mourning mattress at their home, said she last saw Madubela more than a week ago because she was in nursing school.
She was too distraught to speak.
Madubela’s niece, Nonkululeko, 22, said the man had become a father figure to her and filled the void left by her deceased father.
“He played the role of a father in my life because I grew up without a father. There is nothing that he did not do for us, although he would say we all have our problems, he was always there for us,” she said as tears welled in her eyes.
Madubela’s cousin, Aaron, said he was a devout Christian.
Recalling their last conversation on Friday afternoon, he said Madubela was looking forward to the family’s unveiling ceremony in uMlazi for a relative.
“I spoke to him just before he went on shift. He always had supper before going to work. He was speaking excitedly about the unveiling ceremony and how he was going to man the preparation for the cow that would be slaughtered for the ceremony,” he said.
“But he will be with us in spirit,” he said.
Health MEC, Sibongiseni Dhlomo, sent his condolences to the family and was relieved the mother and baby were not injured in the accident.
“We are deeply saddened by the death and injury of these committed paramedics who were involved in a collision whilst on a mission to save the life of a mother and her baby.
“We are also concerned about the emotional state of the paramedics who now have lost a colleague. In all this, we are relieved though that the patients who were being transported were not injured in the process but as a cautionary measure, we are keeping them under observation,” he said.
Provincial police spokesperson, Major Thulani Zwane, confirmed the deaths. He said the Audi driver was 24 years old and the police were investigating further.
Daily News