Eastern Cape Member of the Executive Council responsible for Education, Mr Mandla Makupula has sent condolences to the families of 5 learners from Gwabeni Village near Flagstaff who died in an accident this morning.
The 5 learners together with 11 fellow pupils were caught up in a horrific accident involving a Vaal Maseru Bus and a bakkie that was ferrying the learners to their school Sithukuthezi Senior Secondary School in Ntshangase Village in Mbizana. All the 11 remaining learners are in hospital including the driver of the bakkie.
“Our province is saddened and traumatised by the loss of these vulnerable young lives, especially as it is barely a week that we were also burying 5 other learners in Lwandile Village in Ngqeleni,” said a shocked MEC Makupula. “This calls for a deep communal introspection and soul searching, in order to honestly revisit the entire scholar transportation exercise and its value chain,” he added.
Mbizana District Officials accompanied by the School Governing Body and members of the South African Police Service have aleardy been to Gwabeni Village where they broke the said news to devastated families and relatives of the deceased learners, none more so than the Ndayi family that lost 3 children in the carnage with 1 survivor in hospital.
The department will also be providing all the necessary counseling for the surviving learners, their families and the school.
Enquiries:
Loyiso Pulumani
Cell: 083 275 0675
