Injured matric pupil fears missing classes
Boy’s leg run over by wheel of scholar bus
A schoolboy who suffered a broken leg after he was run over by a school bus fears he will miss out on most of the class programme following his hospitalisation.
Nhlamulo Baloyi, a pupil at Malenga Secondary School near Giyani in Limpopo, was hospitalised a week into his matric class when a scholar transport vehicle left him injured. The 17year-old has been admitted to the Nkhensani Hospital in Giyani.
Nhlamulo was about to board the bus with other pupils when the accident occurred two weeks ago.
He said the engine was on as they boarded the stationary bus. However, the bus started moving, and ran over his right leg, as well as severely injuring his left foot.
“The wheel of the bus broke my leg. I could see the bone protruding. I nearly died but fellow pupils alerted the driver.”
He had to be carried by his colleagues to the nearby clinic from where an ambulance took him to the hospital.
“I’m worried that I am spending a long time at the hospital and I’m lagging behind in my studies,” he said, speaking from his hospital bed.
Nhlamulo said he was still not feeling well but hoped he would get better.
“I want to work and help my unemployed mother,” he said.
His mother, Katekani Baloyi, said she was worried because her son had missed lessons for his matric studies.
“I’m looking forward to him completing his matric, with a hope that he would pursue his studies further to come back and help raise the profile of our family,” said the 35-year-old mother.
A supervisor at the bus company, identified as Harris Mojela, said they had reported the matter to the police and were awaiting a directive as to what should be done.
“But we are continuing to be supportive of the injured boy as we await police investigations into the matter,” said Mojela.
Spokesman for the provincial department of education Sam Makondo cautioned scholar transport drivers to seriously take into consideration the safety of the pupils “at all times”.