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Families blame City of Tshwane for Soshanguve’s tragedy

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The families of five children who died after a broken high mast lighting collapsed over them in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, on Saturday, have blamed the City of Tshwane for the tragedy.

The residents also share their sentiments. They say the light had not been working for many years, while at the same time blame the “Nyaope” for tempering with it.

Residents say several attempts to get the municipality to fix the broken light were unsuccessful.

Tshwane mayor, Solly Msimanga was prevented from meeting the bereaved families by a group of angry residents, this after he arrived at the Bopape house in Block X.

Two of the Bopape sisters lost their daughters in the tragedy.

The children were playing outside with friends when the broken light fall on them.

Tsholofelo Bopape lost her five year old daughter, Dimpho, while her younger sister, Dimakatso is mourning the death of her only child, 11-year-old Boitshoko.

Tshofelo says this is what she found at the scene. “I noticed her with her shoe and she was still alive and I just looked at her. After that she just passed on.”

Some human flesh and pieces of brain were still scattered at the scene when the media arrived.

Nine-year old Thembeka Mqiwa, whose friends died in the tragedy, cannot believe she survived. She escaped with minor injuries to her arms and legs. She shares of her horrific experience.  “I was playing with my friends not far from home and the light fell on us. I will miss my friends.”

Across the street, just few houses away, the Matibakwe family is also mourning the death of their daughter, 11-year old Lethabo, whose mother also died a month ago.

Her aunt, Maggie Thobejane says the incident has shocked everyone in the family. “We are deeply hurt, we don’t even know how to bury the child, because there’s no one working in this house. It’s only the granny.”

One of the residents, Pastor Patricia Vilakazi was among the first people to rush to the scene of the tragedy on Saturday afternoon.

She is still traumatised. “So I was trying to help and I didn’t know who to help, because they were all bleeding. I was on top of the blood and brains, walking on top of the brain and blood, my shoes are still covered in blood.”

One of the two injured children is still in hospital.

Funeral arrangements for the five deceased children are yet to be finalised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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