the graves |
A BIRTHDAY celebration turned into a tragedy as a
Tsholotsho man, his brother and son as well as another relative died on their
way home from South Africa after attending what proved to be their last
birthday party.
Yenzani Sibiya (47) took his son, Thierry Sibiya to
Thohoyandou in South Africa’s Limpopo Province, for his 15th birthday
celebration.
The two died with Sibiya’s brother, Zwelithini Sibiya (35)
and another relative, Joe Phiri in a road accident in Musina.
Thierry turned 15 on September 9 and the accident occurred
in the early hours of September 10 in Musina, and all four died on the spot.
All the Sibiya family members were buried on Sunday in
Bubude, Tsholotsho while Phiri was buried in South Africa.
The Chronicle news crew caught up with the Sibiya family
during the burial of the three family members in Tsholotsho.
Yenzani’s wife, Hlalisani Nkomo (37) told The Chronicle
that her husband died after the party he had organised for his son in Musina.
“I am at a loss for words on the incident that took away my
family. I don’t know where to start and end because am still in shock. It’s day
14 today since they died and we have just laid them to rest but it still feels
so unreal to me,” she said between sobs.
“My husband had taken our son out to celebrate his 15th
birthday and they never returned. A [Toyota] Quantum that was coming from the
opposite direction rammed into their car as it tried to overtake. We suspect
the Quantum driver misjudged the gap between the oncoming vehicles and tried to
suddenly stop after he saw that a truck was close by. It crashed into their
vehicle onto the other lane. A truck side swiped them, and the Quantum went
over their vehicle. They all died on the spot.”
Tsholotsho South MP Cde Zenzo Sibanda who attended the
burial said it was heart-breaking to lose four family members in one accident.
“We have lost more than 10 people in road traffic accidents
in South Africa this year alone and it is really painful,” he said. Chronicle
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