By BAKANG MOKOTO
The three families who lost their loved ones in a dreadful accident on R34 road between Schweizer Reneke and Bloemhof, breathed a ‘sigh of relief.’
This comes after the North West Premier, Bushy Maape who visited the families in Ipelegeng Township near Schweizer Reneke, committed that his government will assist them with burial arrangements.
Nineteen people who were from a wedding anniversary celebration, perished in a head-on collision between a minibus taxi and a truck on Saturday in the horrific accident, while three others who suffered serious injuries, were ferried to the local hospital for medical attention.
Motseothata Ntlatseng, who is a family spokesperson said, they are distressed after losing 15 family members and as family, they had no means to bury their loved ones.
“So far, we have not received a clear picture of what kind of assistance the government will provide. As family, we have not yet decided the date of the funeral as we are still waiting for the forensic unit to complete the autopsy on the deceased.
“The forensic unit said there might be a delay in the autopsy because of the number of the deceased. In general, we welcome the visit from government officials and their assistance. We actually need closure as a family and ensure that the deceased receive a dignified send-off,” he said.
Ntlatseng said even though he is not sure on what might be the cause of the horrific accident, he did not rule out the possibility of alcohol playing a pivotal role as the deceased were from a wedding anniversary celebration.
“I was not part of the journey. However, the person who can answer that is the driver. Frankly, we cannot ignore the fact that those who were in a minibus taxi were from a wedding anniversary celebration.
“So, alcohol might have taken a role in this horrific accident. However, these are still allegations and we are still waiting for a comprehensive report, he said.
Ntlatseng said he received a devastating call at around 9:30pm on Saturday from one of his friends regarding the accident after seeing that on various social media platforms.
A representative from the Molaetsi’s family, Boitumelo Keohitlhetse also welcomed the government’s assistance.
Meanwhile, Maape said: “This is a sad day for us as the provincial government. The tragedy left us devastated and traumatised. We came here to express our heartfelt condolences and also to indicate that we want to travel this journey of tragedy and sadness with the families.
“We will do whatever is expected from us and ensure that we ease the burden on the family. I cannot be specific on what it is that we are going to do. However, there are a number of departments that are involved and they will interact with the families.”
He said the departments will ensure that all the means that are needed by the families will be provided with empathy, humility and compassion.
ANC spokesperson in the North West, Kenny Morolong said: “It is disheartening that so many lives were lost in this horrific accident. The death of any single person is painful and unbearable, but the loss of a family in a single accident is even more excruciating.
“Whilst we are encouraged by the swift response of the NWPG, we implore the government to continue to extend a hand to the affected families in all forms possible. We are also encouraged that the families will receive counselling in order to deal with the effect of the trauma caused by this horrendous accident,” Morolong said.
The Guardian 