IT’S been a heartbreaking week for the father of seven-year-old Gibbson Kangadzi, whose life was cut short when a taxi slammed into a car transporting him and his four-year-old friend to school on Tuesday morning, 24 January.
Read here: JUST IN: Boy (7) dies in collision
Both Gibbson and his friend were casualties in the crash, along with a pedestrian.
The crash at the corner of Blamey and South Coast roads has left the Montclair-based Kangadzi family devastated at the loss of their eldest child.
Father, Agrippa Kangadzi cut a grief-stricken figure as he stood quietly against the wall of his home, still in disbelief at no longer being able to hug his little boy.
“He was such a bright young boy and so brave,” said Agrippa. “I was so proud of him and I always felt he would have a good and bright future ahead of him. He really loved school.”
Agrippa spoke to his son for the last time the morning Gibbson died. “I was still sleeping when he came to wake me up to tell me he was going to school. He was so excited to go and I said to him: “I will see you when I get back. I never did,” he said.
Despite the pain of his loss, Agrippa, who is a devoted Christian, added: “Life is like a bus and it’s passengers have their own stops. Gibbson came to his stop but this is so painful. As a father I expected him to bury me, not the other way around,” he said quietly.
The lives of Gibbson’s siblings will never be the same. Since he was the eldest, his younger brother and sister looked up to him.
“My three-year-old son keeps asking me when Gibbson is coming back. He is still too young to understand,” said Agrippa.
According to an off-duty police officer who was travelling in a bus, the accident was horrific. “Our bus had stopped at the robot at the intersection and I noticed the taxi drive through the red traffic light. Suddenly I heard a loud crash and people in the bus started crying and shouting,” said the officer, who provided a statement to the police.
Read here: UPDATE: Fatal Clairwood crash fires up taxi debate
He saw the vehicle carrying the children and a woman bleeding in the gutter. “I ran out of the bus to try stop the taxi driver who tried to drive away from the scene,” he added.
The driver was arrested by Montclair SAPS for culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving. He appeared in court on Thursday, 27 January.
DID YOU KNOW?
Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics.
To receive news links via WhatsApp, send an invite to 061 694 6047
The South Coast Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there?
Do you have more information pertaining to this story?
Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
