Wits reels as 7 students die in crash

The University of the Witwatersrand is mourning the death of seven of its students who were involved in a road accident, and six others who suffered injuries on 1 May when the students were travelling back from a prayer meeting in Limpopo.

Wits vice chancellor Adam Habib, dean of students Pamela Dube, as well as members of the Student Representative Council have all travelled to the province to assist with the process of identifying the bodies of the deceased.

In a statement, the university extended its sympathy to the friends and family during this difficult period.

Wits SRC secretary general Fasiha Hassan said the students were involved in a terrible accident travelling back on the N1 highway from Limpopo. “Their taxi collided with a trailer of an overturned truck and caught alight, they were attending a pilgrimage event,” she said.

In a statement, the Wits SRC passed its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the victims of the crash. “We will be meeting with the families to provide support during this difficult time. We request that members if the public bear with us and provide support and the much-needed space for the families to grieve and come to terms with the shocking news.”

Shirona Patel, University of the Witwatersrand spokesperson said, many of the students are from the ZCC student society. “We are in touch with the MEC of Health in Limpopo, if they don’t have the necessary expertise we will eventually have [the injured] transferred to Gauteng,” said Patel.

“It is a sad day for the university, and our focus is on supporting the ones involved.”