Villagers grieve as the road deaths mount

The Masameni administrative area in Libode was under a dark cloud of bereavement after 11 people died during the weekend.

Six family members, including children, died when the car they were travelling in collided with a minibus taxi under an overhead bridge on the Libode exchange on Monday afternoon. All those who died were occupants of a Toyota Corolla which collided with a Toyota Quantum minibus carrying 14 people.

According to the authorities, the Toyota Corolla was coming from the neighbouring village of Marhewini and hit a taxi which was heading towards Port St Johns.

The six died on impact when their sedan was torn in half.

The engine flew about 10 metres from the rest of the car.

When the Daily Dispatch arrived on the scene, bodies were strewn about.

Containers of white paint in the taxi had exploded inside, spewing paint around.

Transport, safety and liaison spokesperson Unathi Bonqose confirmed the deaths.

“Six people suspected to be relatives have died in a head-on collision on the R61 road near Mount Nicholas.

“It is alleged that a sedan with six occupants collided with a fully-loaded minibus.

“A total of 14 people from the taxi sustained injuries and were rushed to St Barnabas Hospital for further medical attention,” said Binqose.

A case of culpable homicide was opened at the Libode police station.

The accident happened just less than a kilometre from the homes of many of the victims.

Those who died in the car were identified as Phumzile Lax Mbazana, 42, who was a nurse at St Barnabas Hospital in Ntlaza near Libode, his son Mawanda Ngambu, 12, three children of Mbazana’s girlfriend, Nzulu Nota, 6, Mphumzi Nota, 15, and Ovayo Nota, 11, and two-year-old Masimthembe Nantso, the son of Mbazana's neighbour.

In a shooting on Sunday, four people from Qhanqu Village, Masameni administration died when taxi owner, Sonwabile Samuel, 48, shot dead his three children before committing suicide by shooting himself at his Northcrest home in Mthatha.

Ward 7 councillor Phila Godongwana named the three children as Sinako, 9, Sinezizi, 8, and Sinaye, 6.

Godongwana said three people died on the R61 near Tarkastad when a taxi overturned on the route from Cape Town to Mthatha.

One was named as 45-yearold Thabisile Mkhize.

Sadly, she was a neighbour of the six people who died in the Toyota Corolla.

Masameni administrative area traditional leader Nkosana Nkosiphendule Ndamase and the Nyandeni municipality mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana, OR Tambo mayor Nomakhozana Meth and finance MEC Oscar Mabuyane expressed shock at the deaths of the Masameni villagers and others who have all died on the roads during the festive season.

By Tuesday the death toll stood at 66.

''I cannot believe that 11 people in my area alone have died in such a short space of time,” said Ndamase.

“This is a disaster. We are under a very dark cloud in Masameni. We appeal for divine intervention,'' Ndamase added.

‘I cannot believe that 11 people in my area alone have died in such a short space of time. We are under a very dark cloud in Masameni,’ said a traditional leader