A family member has apologized on behalf of brother who was involved in an accident and killed 6 children.
The brother of the bus driver who overturned with students from Mchitheki Secondary, in Mona, Nongoma and 7 students died, in an accident that happened in eHluhluwe last Tuesday. Mr Fani Ntshalikazi said this yesterday Wednesday during a memorial service held at the school premises. “I would like to apologize to my brother for the accident that killed the students. He was involved in this accident when he started driving buses a long time ago,” he said, asking for forgiveness from the families.
They lashed out at those who use social media to attack the principal and teachers of Mchitheki school after the accident that happened while they were going to Durban.
This was disclosed by the president of the students, Ms Siphesihle Ntuli, at the memorial service, speaking in this service Ms Ntuli showed that she is a serious student as she was speaking and tears were falling, but that did not interfere with her speech as her voice was clear. “We thank you principal, you taught us to be thankful every morning for waking up. It’s sad what happened to our students, their parents gave them money to go and study in Durban, but they didn’t come and ended up in such a bad place. I still say that everything has happened to their body in the way they have gone, we have seen that the body was in a different state but their soul was not affected. We wish them to go in peace. We had an oath that we would pass with flying colors (100%), and we still stand by that. Parents, we know you were watching your children, saying that they would wake up their families, but it didn’t happen. Today I am standing here representing the students, thank you. We hear others talking on social media (facebook), insulting the principal and teachers, we don’t care, we will continue to study and pass. We will pass and make our teachers and fellow students happy,” said to applause.
There was an outcry when the principal, Mr Xolani Simo Mthethwa, revealed that another student, Lungisani Sibiya, who was in grade 11, had died. “I would like to read to all the students who have died. The news I am getting now is that another student has passed away. A total of 8 dead including the bus driver Mr Ntshakala. I hope that the spirit of these students will leave us united, we will work together at all levels of leadership until the community of Nongoma benefits”, said the principal.
He said the families will bury separately, he mourned the families of the deceased and Thanduyise bus company. “A person born of a woman, his days are short on earth. I cry with all those who have lost. It saddened me that the owners of this company never came to mourn with the families but we saw their bus waiting at the gate to pick us up to go to the memorial service. I blame them for that, they did not do well,” said Mr Nkosinathi Buthelezi who is one of the parents.
Mr Jabulani Mtshali who is the chairman of the KwaZulu-Natal Bus Council (KWANABUCO) which is the organization under which the bus caused the accident said, “We sympathize with all those affected. We must have gone to the families to see them before this day, we are very sorry.
The chairman of the school’s parents’ council, Mr Thabani Nxumalo, also reprimanded those on social media, saying they were misleading the country. “While we were at the scene of the incident, there were those who were predicting on social media how many people had died. There were also reports that the twins had died, there is no such thing stop abusing social media. Apart from that, the service was attended by teachers from neighboring schools, the mayor of Zululand municipality Mr Thulasizwe Buthelezi, the mayor of Nongoma Mr.l Mshangane Ndabandaba also expressed their condolences.
