Full story: Promising future of NWU Masters student cut short

“He had such a promising future ahead of him; it seems unfair that he had to die so soon.”
This is how NWU engineering lecturers, Ashwin Besuidenhout and Isaac Motlhakudi paid tribute to their friend and former colleague, Darryl Phahlamohlaka. The 27-year-old NWU Engineering Masters student died tragically in a horrific car accident in the early hours of Friday morning.
According to WO Mohutsiwa of Ikageng SAPS, the police arrived at the scene in Lekhele Street in Ikageng to find a gold Citi Golf on its roof in someone’s yard. It had crashed through the gate and rolled, leaving fatally-injured Darryl trapped inside. His body was later removed by the fire brigade personnel. The other passenger suffered minor injuries when he was flung onto the pavement and the driver was nowhere to be found. The licence disc of the vehicle had expired last year.
The injured passenger says they were returning from a popular nightclub in town but only remembers going through the green robot.
The owner of the house, Ms Regina Mabaso was woken by a loud bang, followed by her 21-year-old son yelling that there was a car in the yard. She immediately alerted the neighbours and called the police.

Ashwin first met the student from Ga-Phaahla  in Limpopo in Patria Men’s Hostel. He was a Fifa Playstation-addict and usually organised Playstation tournaments there and even had a revolving trophy for the winner. Their last conversation, on the day of his death, was to organise a FIFA tournament. The two shared an office when Darryl was a lecturer at the NWU.
“He was a fun guy with a clearly defined vision. When he made up his mind, it was difficult to change it. That’s what made him such a driven person.
“His death comes at the most unexpected time and I’m truly sad to my core. I’ll forever cherish the good times we spent together,” he said.
Isaac, also a close friend of Darryl’s, said he met him when they started as junior lecturers at NWU.
“You had to be some kind of special or crazy to understand my friend. He was one of those people who believed in his ideas and convictions. He was a hard worker, a genius who did everything with passion and commitment. He was a people’s person who was always there when you needed him,” he said.
Prof. Fika Janse van Rensburg, NWU rector says it was with deep regret that he learned of the promising student’s passing. Darryl is the sixth student to pass away at NWU in less than two months. Earlier last month, BCom student, Xavier Klein drowned in the university’s swimming pool. Three female students died in a car accident and another one passed away after contracting meningitis.

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