Emotions run high during memorial of taxi crash kids
Music used to comfort the masses
Emotions ran high yesterday when award-winning gospel muso Sipho Makhabane preached through music to bring comfort to the families of 20 people who died in a horrific taxi crash in Mpumalanga.
Singing Ebenezer (Ungihole Kwaze Kwa’la), Makhabane evoked emotions in bereaved families, principals from two schools, teachers, a political delegation and their communities.
Masses gathered at Verena Open Ground in Mpumalanga for a public memorial service for 20 victims, who include 18 pupils, who were burnt to death.
Mpumalanga MEC for education Reginah Mhaule thanked Makhabane for bringing comfort to the families through his music.
“Music brings comfort and joy to a person in pain,” said Mhaule, quoting Psalm 147:3 and Isaiah 41.
The crash occurred on the R25 between Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng and Verena in Mpumalanga on April 21.
Paramedics, nurses and social workers battled to help those overcome by emotion.
Some family members were taken outside.
Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga – having lost a child herself – said she knew that the pain of losing a child was not an easy burden to carry.
She added that the cabinet had acknowledged that “it (accident) constitutes one of the saddest tragedies to befell our sector in 2017”.
“I may not understand fully the pain that the families are going through at the moment. However, please take comfort in that I know time really heals.
“I’ve been through that. I lost a child. The pain never goes, but it slowly becomes better ... our children are not dead, they have just slipped away to the next room of the ancestors and the spirits,” Motshekga said.
She acknowledged that there were “weaknesses” in the national scholar transport implementation and monitoring processes. The policy was approved in October 2015.
“This national transport policy provides that national government must oversee the implementation of the policy in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, including provinces, municipalities and school governing bodies.
“It is quite clear that there are weaknesses in some areas of implementation of this policy. It is for this reason also in honour of our children to intensify our monitoring and implementation of the policy.”
Mpumalanga MEC for community safety, security and liaison Pat Ngomane, who is also a member of the funeral planning committee, called on communities to work with law enforcement agencies in the fight against road carnage.