“May we find healing and pray for Ngwathe”
Our heartfelt condolences to all involved in this terrible tragedy that had hit the town of Parys hard, with the death of two of the municipality's electricians.
In what was a very emotional day for employees of the Ngwathe Municipality in Parys, they were informed this morning, Friday 24 February of the tragic death of two of their colleagues, Emma Rocolo and Elias Search Letshaba, both electricians who worked in the Ngwathe technical department.
Their death follow after two seperate incidents on Thursday night 23 February.
The municipality’s technical director, Mr Malunga, this morning confirmed that the first incident happened at about 18:45 in Boom Street while the electrical team was busy replacing two faulty transformers. The new transformers were received on Thursday morning at 10:00 when preparation started to replace the old transformers with the new ones.
Loadshedding then followed at 14:00, and shortly after the end of loadshedding when the team could commence with the placing of the transformers, an incident happened on the scene injuring Elias, and two other municipal workers, Sello Senokoane and Edwin Mokoroane as well as the crane driver. They were taken to the Parys District hospital but sadly Elias succumbed to death.
Shortly after the incident, Emma Rocolo, senior electrician of the Ngwathe municipality as well as a private contracter who were also on the scene in Boom Street, died in a tragic car accident in Hospitaalweg on their way to the Parys District Hospital.
The municipal manager, the Executive Mayor of the Ngwathe Municipality and pastors addressed the employees after which all members of the Ngwathe electrical team lit candles in memory of two highly respected and loved colleagues.
“We have lost two key people in our community. In times like this we never really know what to say. What happened was abnormal and unfortunate. We are living on borrowed times. When I looked across the room, I could see a community that has come together amidst this tragedy. I didn’t think there was anybody in this room with a part of their hearts not ripped out. Whether you worked with these colleagues, or attended to the scene.”
“But we can opt to make a decision. A decision whether we pass judgement and fight among each other, or embrace and come together. We all are doing the best we can with what we do. The way we treat others is the way we present God. If we make a human link, nobody can break it, ” was the message of Carl Cilliers from the EMS Chaplaincy & Trauma Support team this morning when speaking to employees.
The municipal manager joined in her message saying that only in times like this we come together as a family, and a family stay together.
In an emotional message Ngwathe’s Executive Mayor, Cllr Victoria de Beer, said “may we find healing and pray for Ngwathe,” calling upon employees to unite, and to take care of each other.”
“I strongly believe God is taking us as a municipality somewhere, even if it is painful in this way. We are still asking ourselves questions, but only God knows. It is going to take time to heal,” she said.
