CALLED to an untimely death last Sunday, six Empangeni accident victims were honoured during a mass funeral service in Richards Bay on Saturday for contributions to their work, schools and communities .
Roderick Petersen (44) his wife Ronelle (46) and children Amy (5), Josh (11) and their friend’s Simphiwe (14) and Sinakhonke (8) Ngubane were travelling from a church service in Richards Bay when their vehicle collided with a truck.
Thousands packed a mass marque tent at Veldenvlei Sports Complex to pay their last respects.
They included provincial and local government representatives, community leaders, family, friends and community members .
Speakers acknowledged the pivotal role the Petersen couple held in executing their work, Roderick a teacher, church elder and avid fisherman and Ronelle, an employee in the Department of Health.
Expressing the loss to the education fraternity, KZN Education MEC Peggy Nkonyeni said she sympathised with families during this time and felt their pain as she had lost two children in similar accidents.
‘It takes time for time to heal.
‘There will be just a flood of tears, even today as I look at these lives I see my own children,’ she told bereaved members.
She also spoke of the negligence of truck drivers who were going as far as exchanging driving duties while trucks were moving on the road.
‘We have been alerted to these appalling actions, drivers are not even stopping to handover duties but law enforcement can not be everywhere and we need drivers to take responsibility on the roads, it is tragic to lose lives.’
14 NOVEMBER 2013
Tribute to a great teacher
Roderick ‘RP’ Petersen born 30 January 1970 and raised in Durban, matriculated from Little Flower in Ixopo and furthered his teacher training at Bechet. Rods then went on to do his advanced certificate in education-pure mathematics at Edgewood College UKZN.
After graduation, Rods temporarily taught at Fairvale Secondary before he was offered a permanent post at Sunnydale High School in eShowe where he taught for six years.
He then relocated to Empangeni where he continued to teach Mathematics at Empangeni High School (EHS).
Rods gave free maths tuition for matric pupils in rural township areas and won the award for best maths teacher in the uThungulu District.
Dedicated, passionate and a caring teacher, it wasn’t just a job; it was his vocation in life.
He was due to start his Honours in Pure Mathematics at Unizulu in 2014.
Rods was also a man on fire for the Lord – he was an elder at the Aquadene Open Door Assembly Church as well as a member of the Church governing body.
When he wasn’t teaching or preaching he spent time fishing.
An avid fisherman who started a fishing club at EHS, Rods won fishing competitions rewarding him with week-long fishing trips to Mozambique.
Also an epic hockey player, Rods was part of the Zululand Hockey Club and represented the Zululand district in Cape Town winning provincial colours for umpiring.
With a brown-belt in Karate and a Water Polo competitor, his schedule was never too busy to share a joke or an encouraging word.
A loving husband, attentive father and respected man in the community there was no end to the way in which he reached out to help others.
You will always be thought of with love, friendship, courage and admiration!
You will be missed – but not with a burdened heart and a bowed head instead for the laughter we shared, friendships formed and defiant moments when you stood your ground – resolute in your faith and purpose.
You will always be missed by each of us in our own personal ways, for all the special intangible ways that your touched our hearts.
14 NOVEMBER 2013 noon
Ngubane siblings remembered
THE death of Empangeni siblings, Simphiwe (14) and Shakhokonke (8) Ngubane in a road accident has severely impacted the local community.
The Petersen and Ngubane families had a close relationship and the children’s mothers were good friends and work colleagues.
The Ngubane siblings’ grandfather Themba Ngubane said this was ‘such a great loss’.
While the little girl, a Empangeni Preparatory School pupil was shy, his extrovert grandson, a Grade 8 Empangeni High School pupil was ‘a shining star on the rise’.
He expressed the unrivalled love that he and his daughter, Thembile had for them.
‘That boy was brilliant and I was sure he had a long way to go in life.
‘I cannot express my feelings at this particular juncture, all I can do is advise other families that this can happen to any one- just that God has His own plans for all of us.
‘No one can wish something like this to happen even to their worst enemy, let alone for the young, innocent children to be taken away from us in this manner.
‘I have to be strong for the family and even though their mother tries to be strong, it looks like the enormity of what has happened to her children has not sunk in yet.
‘What I would like to know about how the accident happened, is the condition of that truck.
‘Even the MEC for Transport Mr Mchunu said the driver was not under the influence and the truck was new, but the cause of the accident was a burst tyre.’
He questioned how a brand new truck could experience a burst tyre.
13 NOVEMBER 2013
Mass funeral service for crash victims
THERE will be a mass funeral service for the Petersen’s and Ngubane’s on Saturday (16 November) at the Veldenvlei Sports Complex, Richards Bay at 10am.
The memorial service will be attended by the MEC of Transport, Willies Mchunu, Mayor of uThungulu, Thembeka Mchunu and uMhlathuze Mayor, Elphas Mbatha.
Family members from the Petersen, Adonis and Ngubane family will also share tributes at the service.
Funeral conducted by Richards Bay Funerals 083 7410493.
12 NOVEMBER
Community mourns tragic deaths
THERE has been an outpouring of support and encouragement for the Petersen and Ngubane families.
Words of love and sympathy have come from all over the world. Pupils from Empangeni High, where Roderick Petersen taught, have laid flowers at the family’s home in Empangeni.
Friends and family expressed their grief on Facebook and the Zululand Observer website.
Lameez Saloojee – ‘Deepest sympathies to the Adonis and Petersen families. May the Almighty comfort you during this challenging period. Psalms 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life… Lameez and Twins ( Auckland,New Zealand)
Joan – ‘Another family taken too soon. May the families draw comfort that they are in a better place. Deepest thoughts from Eshowe expats, Felix/Marais/Van As families in London.
Sean Smith – ‘It is a very great loss to Empangeni High School, the children he taught, and the community as a whole.
He always had a smile on his face, and had that rare quality that for him teaching wasn’t just a job, it was his vocation in life and he loved doing it.’
Joeleen Govender – ‘Rodz u will be greatly missed by your colleagues and kids. The Lord chooses the best first.’
Jess Gunter – ‘EHS has lost a lot in just one day Mr.Peterson and Simphiwe Ngubane will be dearly missed. May all six victims R.I.P our prayers go out to all your loved ones .’
Gcina Gumede – ‘I’m lost for words what a beautiful soul you were Mr RP. I was hopeless in Maths and you made it look easy, I may never have taken it as a subject but you explained it so well.
Nomvelo Zungu – ‘Mr Petersen opened a whole new world for me during hockey practices and knew what I was capable of and had an amazing heart, his children Amy and Josh always tagged along and Josh always joked and blamed me if we lost a game.
12 NOVEMBER 2013
Grieving mother speaks to MEC
IT was minutes after blessing congregation members at Open Door Assembly Church, that Roderick Petersen (44), his family and two young passengers were killed on the N2 highway.
The passengers travelling with the Petersen’s have been identified as Simphiwe (14) and Snakhokonke Ngubane (8).
Yesterday the Minister for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Willies Mchunu and representatives from the local and district municipalities visited the Petersen and Ngubane families.
Family spokesperson, Toni Petersen said her son, a maths teacher at Empangeni High School and his wife a supervisor at Empangeni Lower Umfolozi War Memorial Hospital were true servants.
‘Roderick was a teacher and gave free maths lessons in townships; no one knows about the extra miles that teachers go and Ronelle helped everyone who asked.
‘I cried having to identify my family and a line function of accountability must prevail.
‘The issue of unroadworthy heavy vehicles must be urgently addressed.
‘This family and children are glittering stars,’ she said.
Consoling the bereaved family, uThungulu District Mayor Thembeka Mchunu said it was tragic losing lives and to lose civil servants and people of God.
‘It is a great loss for government and society; we had community members who were committed to God. They understood their roles in contributing to build the nation and moral regeneration of society.
‘The Ngubane family don’t blame anyone, these young vessels were taken as they were from church,’ she said.
11 NOVEMBER 2013
MEC visits Petersen family
THE MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu will today pay a special visit to the Petersen family who lost four family members in a head-on collision outside Empangeni yesterday.
Roderick (44), Ronelle (46) , Josh (11) and Amy (5) Petersen and two young passengers, believed to be friends with the Peterson children died near Honey Farm on their way home from church. Mr Petersen was a maths teacher at Empangeni High School and his wife worked at Lower Umfolozi District War Memorial Hospital.
MEC Mchunu has assembled a team of experts to investigate circumstances relating to the cause of the fatal accident.
He has expressed concern that the accident involved a truck and called on all motorists to drive cautiously on the roads.
‘Weekends have become notorious for accidents that claim the lives of scores of people in the province. Yesterday’s accident is as concerning just as the previous ones. We would like to again urge road users to be extra cautious, ensure their vehicles are roadworthy, and strictly adhere to road traffic rules. On behalf of the government of KwaZulu Natal, I would like to express our deepest condolences to the family of the six victims who died in this accident,” said Mchunu.
Mchunu also assured the people of KwaZulu-Natal that his department will continue with intensified law enforcement operations which started during the October Transport Month and will be ramped up as the festive season draws closer.
10 NOVEMBER 2013
Six killed on N2
AN Empangeni family of four and two passengers were tragically killed this afternoon on the N2 just past Honey Farm when a truck going at high speed lost control after a suspected tyre blowout and ploughed into the vehicle.
The driver of the truck fled the scene.
It is believed that the family was en route to Empangeni after attending a church service in Richards Bay.
Empangeni SAPS spokesperson, Captain Mbongeni Mdlalose, said that a case of culpable homicide has been opened.
‘As soon as the matter goes to court, the prosecutors may amend the case to one of murder,’ added Mdlalose.
Update to follow
