Three years after the tragedy, friends and family united for a memorial for three young lives lost on Andries Pretorius Road.
The lives of Lekisha Munro, James McFarlane and Renato Dielo were cut short after their vehicle hit a perimeter wall.
The single-vehicle collision, believed to have caused their deaths, occurred on November 5, 2020.
Former Edenvale High School learner Renato (18) and James (18), a rising football player and Amakhosi youth player, died on the evening of the collision.
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Lekisha (17), a learner at Edenvale High, died on November 6 in the ICU.
Community members gathered to pay tribute, as they did in previous years, by laying flowers in memory of the trio.
This year also saw messages written on helium-filled balloons by those in attendance released into the air.
Food parcels were given to the attendees, who were encouraged to donate them to those in need and continue Lekisha, James and Renato’s passion for helping others.
Lekisha’s father, Richard, said it was amazing seeing how many people attended the memorial three years after the collision.
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“The three of them were such great children and had such promise,” said Richard.
Richard said although things have not gotten any easier, the families have learnt to deal with their losses.
“We still have many questions we might never know the answers to, but we want to keep Lekisha’s legacy of helping people alive.”
Speaking on behalf of the families, Richard said there is never a day when they do not think about their children.
“We know they are looking down at us from above.”
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Renato’s brother, Josemar Dielo, thanked everyone for attending and said although things don’t get easier, supporting each other does help.
“We appreciate those who came out to honour this special occasion with us,” said Josemar.
Pastor Johnny de Almeida of the Seventh Day Adventists in Johannesburg South said losing a loved one is never easy.
“No matter the amount of time that passes, some pain will remain.”
He said that losing someone hurts, but our faith is assurance of life after death.
“Although it hurts knowing that Lekisha, James and Renato will not see tomorrow, it is beautiful to see what friends, family and the community have done,” said Johnny.
This year, the memorial took place over two days.
On November 6, the friends and family spent time at Child Welfare SA – Edenvale and Bedfordview, where they cooked 70 hamburgers and chips for the staff’s children.
Richard thanked the Magua family, Kota Joe’s Build It Central, Glenvale Hyper, Sabers Wholesalers, the Munro family and the Dielo family for their contributions.
