Africa-Press – South-Africa. Hundreds of people gathered in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, on Thursday night to pay tribute to the five children who died in a crash earlier this week.
“It brought the whole community together. Everybody was in mourning, even if it was not our child. It doesn’t have to be our child for us to be in mourning,” said Mitchells Plain community leader Warda Cay, who attended their memorial service.
On Tuesday morning, five children from Khayelitsha died in a crash on AZ Berman Drive, while on their way to school.
Cay said the memorial was hosted where the crash happened and was attended by residents from Mitchells Plain and other areas. The local neighbourhood watch hosted the event.
She said attendees held a moment’s silence and released five helium balloons into the sky to pay tribute to the children killed.
A pastor also led the attendees in prayer.
“You felt the love of people coming together and like the children were your own. We are in mourning with the parents. Nobody deserves to die like that,” said Cay.
While there was immense sadness, community leaders also felt immense anger.
“This is not the first time that [AZ Berman] has claimed lives. We also need to bring attention to the safety of school transport,” said Cay.
On Thursday, the man accused of killing the five pupils, Khayelitsha school transport driver Mninkhaya Mvuli, appeared in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court.
Mvuli has been charged with five counts of culpable homicide after his white Toyota Hilux Bakkie hit a curb at the traffic island before slamming into a traffic light.
Mvuli will appear in court again on Monday, when he is expected to apply for bail. Cay said she sympathised with Mvuli, who also lost his stepdaughter in the crash, and is hoping he gets bail.
“It can happen to anyone. We do not know how he lost control,” she said.
WATCH | Cape Town man accused of causing crash that killed 5 pupils to apply for bail
The Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) chairperson, Ndithini Tyhido, said residents had been thinking about the family during this difficult time.
Tyhido said the KDF met with the families to support them during their grief.
Tyhido also expressed concern about unsafe school transport, which he said had been a problem for a long time.
“We need to make sure that children take proper transport to school and the vehicles are fit and proper,” he said.
Meanwhile, Western Cape Minister for Education, David Maynier, said the crash was an “unimaginable tragedy”, and the education department sent its deepest condolences to the pupils’ families, schools, and communities.
The pupils were from Ridgeville Primary, Harvester Primary, Duneside Primary, Highlands Primary, and Westpoort Primary.
According to Maynier, since Tuesday, the department has provided support and counselling to the schools and families.
Maynier also provided an update regarding two pupils injured in the crash.
“One of the learners injured in the crash was treated and discharged on the same day. The second pupil remains in the hospital in critical condition,” he said.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
