Africa-Press – South-Africa. Emotions ran high at the Madiba Hall in Potchefstroom on Thursday during a memorial service for the five pupils who died when a truck crashed through the fence of Vyfhoek Primary School.
Tebogo Reamogetse Motsemme, 12, Thendo Noxolo Lewane, 9, Christina Lerato Mashai, 9, Oreneilie Seroalo, 8, and Mahlohonolo Palesa Thekiso, 7, died in the crash.
The hall was packed to capacity and family members wept uncontrollably during the service.
Outside the entrance, a wooden cross had the names of the five pupils engraved on it.
Inside the hall, there were bouquets of flowers, candles and placards depicting pictures of the pupils.
Five pupils killed as truck smashes through Potchefstroom school fence
“In loving memory of our child”; “No words can express the pain that you are going through”; “Our prayers for you are that God will give you strength to face the coming days ahead without these lovely children,” some of the placards read.
The truck that crashed into the children was travelling from Potchefstroom towards Johannesburg on the N12 when its tyre reportedly burst, and the driver lost control.
The vehicle smashed through Vyfhoek Primary School’s fence and ploughed into nine children, who were waiting for their transport home.
Five pupils were killed; four others were rushed to hospital.
The mayor of the JB Marks municipality, Gaba Ka Qhele, told people at the memorial that, when he rushed to the scene last week, he witnessed something he had “never seen in my whole life, and I imagine it will stay with me for as long as I live”.
“As a father, when I observed the scene, what struck me was that an accident like this happened in my city and to my children. I felt such a rush of emotions, but the overwhelming emotion was sadness.
“As parents, we all plan for a long and happy life for our children. We do not plan for them to pass away unexpectedly.
“We do not expect them to die of unnatural causes, like it has happened in this particular case,” Ka Qhele said.
“I wish to say life is short. This tragedy teaches us that. Death is always like a shadow next to us. We don’t know when it may strike.
“However, the bible says that, although death is an enemy, it has been defeated by Jesus Christ. Death be not proud.”
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