Sunday, 13 April 2025

MOTHER AND TWO KIDS KILLED IN SA CRASH

The comforting truth of scriptural passages, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the Lord, and children are a gift from the Lord,” were cruelly overshadowed for a Bulawayo man based in Musina, South Africa who tragically lost his wife and two children in a recent horrific road traffic accident.

A completely devastated Mr David Gotore lost his wife Mary (42) and their two children Atalia (21) and Kiara (5) on March 28 in Louis Trichardt, in the neighbouring country. Sadly, Kiara passed away just seven days before her sixth birthday.

This was after the car his wife was driving was involved in a head-on collision with a truck that encroached onto their lane after its brakes failed. One of their children who was also in the car survived.

On the fateful day, his wife and children were travelling from Musina to Louis Trichardt and Mr Gotore was also travelling from Bulawayo to South Africa when the devastating news reached him.

The weight of the message that his wife and two children had died proved too heavy a burden. Overwhelmed by grief, he suffered depression and was admitted in hospital for four days.

In his tribute, which was read by a relative, Mr Gotore said that it was hard to accept the death of his loved ones when he did not get to say goodbye.

He also described his wife of 25 years as his pillar of support.

“My heart is heavy. My soul is torn. I stand before you, not just as a grieving husband and father — but as a man carrying the weight of a shattered world. Mary Makumbe-Gotore, my beloved wife, my strength, my rock — was not just the heartbeat of our home, she was the silent power behind actions that changed our lives.

“Atalia, you were quiet like your mother, but so full of dreams. You carried your sister when she needed it. Kiara, my bold one — you were spirited, yes, but also bright, fearless and wonderfully kind. Your energy could not be contained. Now I am left alone,” said Mr Gotore.

After Mr Gotore’s tribute, a wave of shared sorrow rippled through the crowd, leaving no soul untouched by the sheer weight of his loss.

He emotionally thanked his family, relatives and friends as well as the people who came to support him, including a Mrs Dube from Revival Motorways, his former employer, and all the other transport operators in Bulawayo he once worked with who were there to support him.

For Mr Gotore, the loss was so unbearable that he felt as though the world had closed in on him.

The sudden and devastating accident stole his wife and two children, leaving a void so profound that it eclipsed all else. It was a sad sight during the funeral service to see three coffins, each adorned with pictures of the deceased.

During the service, some mourners were unable to contain their tears, their sobs echoing the immense sorrow that filled the room.

Speaker after speaker stood up to pay their respects describing the loss felt not only by the Gotore family but also by their extended families, relatives and the wider community.

It was a sombre atmosphere as the hearses with the coffins made their way to Luveve Cemetery where the trio was buried.

The three were laid to rest on Saturday last week. Chronicle

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