The victims of the heartbreaking Mother’s Day road tragedy were laid to rest in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa on Sunday, 18 May.
A mass funeral ceremony was organised at Silethukuthula High School in Mtubatuba, located in the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal, in honour of the nine worshippers from the Umkhumbi Wesethembiso Church of Zion who tragically lost their lives in a road mishap in Empangeni on Sunday, 11 May.
Seven women and two men who were members of the Zion Church all died in the tragedy that happened while they were returning home from a church service.
The unfortunate incident occurred on Mother’s Day, a time when the entire nation was in celebration.
The individuals who perished in the crash were identified as Makhosi Magwaza (57), Celiwe Zikhali (55), Dudu Mthembu (52), Winnie Mkhwanazi (52), Cabangile Mavundla (52), Qhamukile Khumalo (40), Sihle Ndamase (24), Mphikiseni Sithole (57), and Bongani Ndlovu (46).
The Mkhwanazi family opted to bury their loved one, Winnie Mkhwanazi, in Nongoma, also in the north of the province.
The accident took place when a tow truck collided with the rear end of the minibus in which the victims were travelling.
Families in mourning, fellow churchgoers and members of other congregations dressed in traditional church attire came together beneath a marquee to offer their heartfelt tributes.
Mqobi Msweli, who lost his mother in the crash, expressed deep sorrow, saying he was still coming to terms with the loss.
“Mother’s Day will never be the same for me after this. It will be a constant reminder that this was the day my mother left me,” he said.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, and the KZN MEC for Transport and Human Settlement, along with other officials from the municipality, attended the funeral.
Deputy Minister Hlengwa assured that the nation’s law enforcement bodies will pursue a thorough legal process involving the drivers of both the tow truck and the Hyundai vehicle.
