Cape Town – As a sombre mood hangs over Cape Town after the death of five children in a horrific accident in Mitchells Plain, a local funeral parlour has offered to assist the grieving families.
Davids Funeral Services in Kuilsriver offered their burial services to the families of the five children who died on Tuesday.
In a social media post on its Facebook page, the business wrote:
“If anyone have contact with the families who lost their children this morning in the tragic accident @the robot of AZ Berman and Kerrem Street @ Promenade Mall Mitchells Plain please do give the family this message:
“Should one of the families struggle with funeral arrangements and don't have funeral cover and don't have finance to cover they funeral arrangements we as Davids Funeral Services want to bless one of those Families with a full funeral FREE OF CHARGE (sic).”
Speaking to IOL on Wednesday, Endrico Davids, the owner of the funeral home, said the news of the tragic accident had gripped him.
“I was laying on the bed and thought I had to assist. I am a believer and I feel the Holy Spirit told me to assist,” Davids said.
“I’m doing it without any agenda. I have been in this industry for 10 years and I know parents don’t put children on policies because they are still young.”
While his business has offered a free funeral to one family, he said anyone who comes forward will be assisted.
“Yes, our post said one family but there was more that came so we will assist all if they should come with the help of my colleagues [in the funeral industry] who made contact with me,” he said.
The businessman has three young children and said now was the time to stand together as the city, province and nation mourned.
Davids confirmed a few relatives had already contacted the funeral home.
Tragedy struck before 8am on Tuesday when seven children were flung from a bakkie in AZ Berman Drive in Mitchells Plain. They were on their way to school.
Pictures and videos of the crash immediately started circulating on social media.
The videos and images were graphic in nature, showing the bodies of the children in school uniform pinned under cars, and in the roadway close to Promenade Mall.
The children who died were 7 to 11 years old.
Two other children aged 6 and 15 were taken to hospital.
The driver of the vehicle transporting the children was arrested.
Provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said the 55-year-old man was expected to appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court soon.
IOL