Family’s grief is others grievance

The memorial crosses that those who are left behind often painstakingly craft and erect at the scene where they had lost a loved one in a road accident are a common sight in South Africa.

One such mother from Roodekrans, Joey Pruis, who is grief-stricken after she lost her daughter Klaudia in a motor vehicle accident shortly after midnight on 16 November 2012, and her family have done the same.

Unfortunately the cross now has become the subject of a tasteless tug-of-war.

Joey tells her story.

“We were not called out to the scene at the corner of Ouklip Road and Graphite Street and therefore could not hold our daughter to say goodbye. Nearly a year after her fatal accident we placed a neat, light brown cross against the tree and we light a candle and place flowers there on special days.

“Now the house closest to where the accident took place is in the market and without consulting us, the cross was removed and dumped on the pavement by either the owners or the agent. I contacted the agent who informed me that they have difficulties selling the property because potential house buyers are superstitious when they notice that a life was lost close to the property,” says Joey who barely could hold back her tears.

“The owners were present after our daughter’s accident. They placed the first cross, planted flowers around the tree and lit the most beautiful candles shortly after the accident. Their son also made a beautiful white cross with blue mosaic pieces, which we placed at the tree but that cross once again was removed. The family even went to say their final goodbye to our daughter at the funeral home and our family highly appreciated their support,” Joey continues.

“We obtained permission to place our cross on the tree, as the pavement is municipal property.

“We are reasonable people. If they had come to us and asked us to remove the cross until the house was sold, we would have been more than willing to oblige, but we will continue to grieve our daughter and pay our tributes at the place where she lost her life.

For the full article and to find out what the law says about the matter, read next week’s edition of the Record.