Sadness engulfed our area this week after a horrible accident killed 11 primary school learners near the N12 on July 10.
The driver of the private minibus taxi in which they were travelling also died in the accident, which occurred at 06:43 on the road between the N12 and Blyvooruitzicht. The taxi caught fire after a white bakkie crashed into it from behind on the steep uphill just after the turn-off from the N12.
The first ambulance arrived at the scene at 06:59. Emergency services were able to respond quickly after one of the members on duty received a direct call about the accident from a member of the public who arrived at the scene shortly after the disaster. The ambulances had to drive past the Mponeng mine to the N12 to get to the site of the accident, as the Merafong City Local Municipality closed the direct route to the scene about a year ago.
The minibus in which the children were travelling caught fire and completely burnt out.
The children were all from Kokosi and 10 were learners at Rocklands Primary School. The other deceased child was a learner of Laerskool Blyvooruitsig.
“My grandson called me from the scene to tell me that his sister did not make it. He was taken to hospital, but is extremely traumatized,” one of the family members at the scene, Bethuel Khesa, told the Herald.
The Hlalele family was particularly hard hit when they lost four children in the crash, two boys and two girls aged between seven and 12. Thato (8) Sihle (12), Hlompo (10) and Reneilwe (7), were all learners at Rocklands Primary School.
The other learners from Rocklands that were killed in the accident were Junior Mankofu (13) who was in Gr 7, Thadeka Mtyilibe (9) who was in Gr 4, Khothatso Sesing (9) who was in Gr 4, Tshiamo Makinta (9) who was in Gr 4, Olesego Khesa who was in Gr 6 and Katlego Morebudi (12) who was in Gr 7.
The learner from Laerskool Blyvooruitsig who was killed was Reabetswe Rabodiba (7) who was in Gr 1.
Various officials of the SAPS and the Departments of Education, Health and Social Services were at the scene for most of the day of the accident. They pledged to provide counselling to the patients and family members affected by the tragedy.
Some of the family members immediately received counselling after hearing that their children were not among those taken to hospital, but who passed away in the accident.
According to the Fochville Station Commander Lt-Col Kgomotso Netshitangani the bodies of the children who died have been burned beyond recognition. For this reason, most will have to be identified by DNA tests, which will take approximately two to three weeks.
Although the accident took place near Wedela, the case is being investigated by the police in Fochville, as it falls in their precinct.
“The driver has not yet been charged and has also not appeared in court. He is still in police custody in hospital. His name and age cannot be released now since he has not appeared in court,” the West Rand District Police spokesperson, Captain Solomon Sibiya, said on Monday when asked whether the driver of the bakkie that crashed into the minibus has been charged with culpable homicide yet.
The municipality did not answer questions about whether they are now going to give more attention to repairing the road past the Wedela graveyard, which would have been direct access for emergency services to get to the scene of the accident. This road has been closed for more than two years after it was damaged in a flood.
Various government departments, organisations and churches expressed their condolences to the families of the learners after the accident. Many noted that the accident again highlighted the issue of whether school transport should be regulated by government.
