Friends and family pay tribute to local couple
At around 02:20 on Saturday January 29 the couple were driving home when a grey blue Volvo allegedly collided with their vehicle just before Church Unlimited on the Barberton Road.
The tragic and sudden death of a local couple, just 200 metres away from their home, has left their friends and family searching for answers.
Charlene Miljo (35) and Kevin Schwan (27) had been on their way home from a night out with friends when the tragedy struck.
At around 02:20 on Saturday January 29 the couple were driving home when a grey blue Volvo allegedly collided with their vehicle just before Church Unlimited on the Barberton Road.
They were only 200 metres away from reaching the safety of their home. It is alleged that Miljo and Schwan died on impact.
Nelspruit Police Station’s spokesperson, Capt Zandile Gqawa, said a case of culpable homicide has been opened against the Volvo driver.
The spokesperson for the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Moeti Mmusi, said details surrounding the accident are still being investigated, however, the accident involved only two cars, and the police had taken down the details of the driver before letting him climb into the car of a friend and leave the scene.
The exact cause of the accident remains unclear.
ALSO READ: Eastern Storm canter to 10-wicket victory over Mpumalanga Rhinos
Miljo’s father, Deon Basson, her aunt, Roenelda Cloete, and sister, Cindy Pretorius, paid a heartfelt tribute to Charlene and Schwan, saying their hearts had been shattered following the news of their deaths.
“We are finding it so hard to find the words to describe what we feel right now. You’ve been ripped from this world too soon. We’ll never understand God’s ways. But with the love you had for Father God, it gives us comfort knowing you’re a gorgeous angel standing beside Him now looking down on us,” the family said.
“We try to remember all our good times and good memories of you, and there are so many. You were always willing to help everyone and were so protective of our hearts all the time. Your love of animals was beyond anything we’ve ever seen and you instilled that same love in your little girl. We’ll look after her as best we can. You are going to be so terribly missed by everyone whose lives you touched.
ALSO READ: Hit-and-run court case postponed February.
“You will forever be in our hearts and minds. The world has lost such a wonderful soul. We would change places with you in an instant if we could. But God wanted you and not us. There’s so much that we could say. We could write books. You have no more pain and no more sorrow, no more fighting and no more struggles.
“We will always love and remember you and the light you were in all our dark days.
“Saying goodbye till we meet again at Heaven’s gates. We know you will be waiting to greet us. So for now it’s goodbye, our Angel.”
The family also added a tribute to Schwan, thanking him for the way he loved Charlene.
“Kevin, where do we begin to thank you for loving Charlene the way you did and for being there for her in life, every step of the way, even in death?
“You were a very good man and we have never seen anybody love someone the way you loved our beloved Charlene. I know that even now you stand beside her, still her guardian angel as always.
“We will always love you for loving Charlene, and we’ll never forget you as long as we live. Farewell, our beloved Kevin. You will be missed dearly.”
Friends of the couple, Charné Meintjes and Jacques du Toit, also paid tribute to the couple.
ALSO READ: Golden-hearted hairdresser saluted
“Friends, there are no words, only tears. Why so quickly and why you? We mustn’t ask why, and just accept you are in the best possible place right now. Thank you Jesus for the two greatest people who were part of our lives, and whom we could call real friends.
“We are going to greatly miss all our time together, our teaming up against one another, our laughing and silliness, our deep conversations we shared, and we are going to greatly miss you two. Thank you for being you! We will always love you out of that extra special place in our hearts. Rest in peace.”
Michelle Basson, Charlene’s half-sister, wrote: “My heart is sore with longing. Charlene and Kevin played a big role in my life. They were good people with such good hearts, still so young, and had so much in store for them, but unfortunately we now have to part from these two. I will never forget how they stood by me during everything. Just two days before my sister closed her eyes, she became the aunt to my little one.
“She was so excited, and wanted to come over at all costs. I have no words to express how broken I am. Just when she and I got to know each other as sisters, and when we couldn’t get round to each other, she was taken away from us. I did not know Kevin that long, but he was always there for everyone, mostly for my sister. He looked after her so well. Oh, I am going to miss those faces. Their wings were ready, but not our hearts. I am going to miss them terribly. Rest in peace, my dear sister and Kevin.”
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@lowvelder.co.za.
For free breaking and community news, visit Lowvelder’s website: Lowvelder
For more news and interesting articles, like Lowvelder on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
