The MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mr. Willies Mchunu, has learnt with sadness of the death of seven KwaZulu-Natal citizens including two employees of the provincial Department of Transport in an accident that happened in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga province, last Saturday.
Of the deceased, five are family members and relatives of the late employee of the department, Mr. Zakhele Madonsela, 61, who died with his wife, Mrs. Gambu Madonsela, 49, their daughter, Ms. Simangele Madonsela, 27, their step-daughter, Xolisile Nkosi, and nephew, Mthobisi Buthelezi. Both Xolisile and Mthobisi were Grade 7 learners at Ubucobuhle Primary School.
The second employee of the department who passed on is Mr. Luke Nxumalo, 61, and the other deceased is pensioner, Phathelaphi Mayisela, 72.
Preliminary reports indicate that the accident happened on Saturday (17 May 2014) at about 17h30, when a white Nissan Hard Body single cab bakkie carrying nine occupants including the driver was travelling along the N2 from Piet Retief to Pongola. It is alleged that the driver of the Nissan was overtaking a sedan vehicle when it crashed into the side of a South African National Defence Force’s truck that was turning. All of the deceased come from an area called KwaMabophe, in Pongola. The two survivors are hospitalised at Itshelejuba, near Pongola.
Mchunu has today expressed his deepest condolences to family members, relatives and friends of all who lost their lives in this accident.
“On behalf of the government, I wish to express our deepest condolences to the families, relatives and friends of those who lost their lives during this accident. I also share in the sorrow and pain of colleagues of Mr. Madonsela
and Mr. Nxumalo, who both worked at our department’s Pongola office. The devastating effects of road accidents is too much to bear for families as it is for the government. It is even more difficult to imagine the pain one feels after losing so many members from a single family,” said Mchunu.
“Our government continues to educate citizens about the importance of road safety, especially the responsibility we all carry to ensure that we strictly respect the rules of the road for our own sake. It remains our conviction that we will only put a stop to the costly road carnage when we each play our part,” said Mchunu.
Representatives of the department’s Road Safety directorate and the Road Accident Fund visited all families to offer support for funeral arrangements, and it was agreed that the funeral will be held on Saturday, 24 May 2014.
Media contacts:
Kwanele Ncalane
Cell: 072 803 1462/ 079 699 5755
E-mail: Kwanele.ncalane@kzntransport.gov.za
Nathi Sukazi
Cell: 081 018 0518/ 082 565 0205
E-mail: Nathi.Sukazi@kzntransport.gov.za
