Central SA
Two NW learners buried following bus accident─── PULANE CHOANE 11:48 Sun, 26 May 2019
Two learners from Thuto-ke-matla Secondary School have been buried at the Doornlaagte Village near Groot Marico and Zeerust in the North West, following a bus accident caused by a scholar transport bus driver’s alleged negligence.
This is according to the provincial education department, which indicated that this comes after the two learners, namely Omphile and Sedimoga Moreri, died on 14 May 2019 after a bus rolled back and fell into an embankment on the N4 road between Doorenlagte to Mogopa, en route to Groot Marico, which resulted in the loss of the two’s lives.
It is alleged that the bus driver of the learner transport left the bus on a hill with its engine running, after the driver had stopped to chase after a passenger who had jumped off without paying him R20 as per their earlier agreement.
The said passenger, a man, had caught a ride in the bus.
North West police spokesperson, Sam Tselenyane, had earlier told Sunday World that when the bus driver stopped on the N4 to offload the illegal passenger, the passenger then ran out of the bus and the driver quickly got off the bus to chase after him, forgetting to switch off the engine.
The driver has since been arrested and faces charges of culpable homicide.
Meanwhile, the funerals of the two learners were held on Saturday and the families were assisted by the department to bury their loved ones.
The provincial education department also held a memorial service for the learners last week Thursday and amongst the people who attended the memorial service were Dr Mpho Motlhabane, the MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management in the province, as well as Dr Keneilwe Mothowagae, who is the Mayor for the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality and finally, Stephinah Semaswe, who is the provincial education department’s Superintendent General for Education and Sport Development.
"On behalf of government we wish to convey our sincere condolences to the Moreri family and the Thutokemaatla Secondary school.
“I urge all the drivers to be extremely careful on the road especially to those who deals with learners. One death is too many, losing two young children at the same time is unacceptable", said Motlhabane at the memorial.
Meanwhile, the learners, educators and the family of the deceased learners continued to receive counselling from Social Development Department.
The two learners were cousins and were in Grades 8 and 9 at the Thuto-ke-matla Secondary School.
