Residents of Mitchel’s Plain in Cape Town, South Africa, gathered on Friday 2 June to pay tribute to the five school children from Khayelitsha who lost their lives in a road accident on Tuesday 30 May.
Over 100 people attended a prayer session at the site of the collision, at which they remembered the children’s families and left flowers. The children died after the bakkie in which they were travelling lost control and hit a bus.
Speaking at the event, community leader Wandile Swaartbooi said that the pain faced by the families of the children must be unbearable. Warda Cay also expressed her distress on behalf of the wider community.
The day before the prayer session, Mninikhaya Mvuli, the driver of the bakkie, appeared in court on Thursay 01 June and was remanded in custody. He is expected to apply for a bail on Monday 05 June.
Western Cape Education MEC, David Maynier, described the incident as an “unimaginable tragedy” while Western Cape MEC of Mobility Ricardo Mackenzie called for greater care to be taken when transporting vulnerable passengers, including selecting qualified drivers and ensuring that vehicles are roadworthy.
The affected learners are from Wespoort PS, Harvester PS, Ridgeville PS, Highlands PS, and Duneside PS.
