Nine people were buried at a mass funeral in Mtubathuba on Mother’s Day in Empangeni. Eight church-goers died due to the severe injuries they sustained. Some of the deceased were decapitated. Officers, aid workers and family of the deceased will now be offered trauma counselling due to witnessing the severity of the injuries of the deceased.
Accident was horrific counselling offered
The Department of Transport and Human Settlements have communicated with officers and found they were deeply traumatized and needed counselling. The driver of the tow truck crashed into the rear-end of a Hyundai H-1 van which was transporting 24 members of the Zion Christian Church, who were travelling to Dukuduku, Mtubatuba. The accident, which occurred along the N2 Northbound after the Mtunzini Toll Plaza, was described as a Mother’s Day tragedy and the deceased were mainly mothers. The tow-truck driver faces a case of culpable homicide.
Accident has left many with tears
The funeral service took place at Silethukukhanya High School in the Mtubatuba Local Municipality a week after the accident. Bishop Vusi Dube led the service, evoking deep emotions as he honored the deceased individuals, whose deaths deeply impacted the entire province of KwaZulu-Natal. Present at the service were the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, and the Mayor of Umkhanyakude District Municipality, Councillor Siphile Mdaka, who both struggled to hide their grief. Of the nine that were killed, there were seven mothers and two fathers who were all aged between 24 years old and 57 years old. Others in attendance included local councillors, Transport Department representatives, members of various churches and local community members.
Help for poverty-stricken families
“Sadly, majority of the deceased were breadwinners, whose families are now left helpless. At the horrific scene of the accident, the bodies of the deceased were scattered on the road, while the other 16 injured occupants were rushed to nearby hospitals, leaving Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officers in a state of severe shock, the Department is addressing issues of assisting families who have lost their breadwinners as well as the officers who were left traumatized,” said Duma. The children of Nobuhle Mkhwanazi (52), will now have to take care of themselves financially.
Poverty stricken child-headed households
“The Mkhwanazi family is now a child-headed household following the death of Mama Winnie. The children have no source of income and to complicate matters, these kids are living in abject poverty and in a dilapidated mud house,” explained Duma. A team of senior managers from the department have spent time with the accident victim families since it occurred. “In view of the fact that most of the victims were breadwinners, efforts will be made to ensure that all processes are followed to ease the burden on the families. No words will be adequate to comfort families, relatives, neighbours and the church,” added Duma.
Trauma counselling for officers
Officers who were at the scene are still recovering from having to witness the horrors of this crash. “We will interact with traffic officers who witnessed decapitated bodies. We are fast-tracking professional counselling to enable officers to manage mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares and intense emotional distress,” said Duma. A concerned Duma added that they are pioneering trauma-informed care and other interventions in the Mtubatuba Local Municipality and a debriefing with the traffic officers will take place this week. The Department has revealed that officers witnessing such trauma can be devastating and harmful. Their studies have revealed that traffic officers who are exposed to gruesome collision scenes are likely to be involved in substance abuse, femicide and gender-based violence. This is as a result of the stress after witnessing such trauma. Duma said they will do everything possible to assist these officers. “As the department, we value our officers. It is for this reason we want to take care of their well-being and their families.”
Names of the accident victims
| Ms Sarafina Makhosi Magwaza | 57 |
| Ms Celiwe Priscilla Zikhali | 55 |
| Ms Dudu Octavia Mthembu | 52 |
| Ms Winnie Nobuhle Mkhwanazi | 52 |
| Ms Cabangile Zodwa Mavundla | 52 |
| Ms Qhamukile Zanele Khumalo | 40 |
| Mr Sihle Ndamase (24) Female | 24 |
| Mr Mphikiseni Bongani Sithole | 57 |
| Bongani Ndlovu | 46 |