The Ntlatseng family, which lost 15 members in a head-on collision that claimed 19 lives on the R34 road between Bloemhof and Schweizer-Reneke in the North West has pleaded with law enforcement officials to investigate the leaking of a gruesome video of the accident scene.
The Ipelegeng Multi-Purpose centre was filled to capacity by members of the community who came to pay their last respect to those who died in an accident last weekend.
Learners from local schools, in their school uniform, could not hold their tears during the funeral service.
The deceased include a mother, her children, and grandchildren. One grandchild, two relatives, and the driver of their vehicle, as well as his friend, were laid to rest on Saturday.
The family says the grieving period has been difficult, especially after watching a leaked video of the scene, which left them traumatized.
The family spokesperson Motse Ntlatseng says, “We were very much disturbed about the video that was shared on social media. We were disturbed about pictures that we saw, people do not have mercy, we were expecting them to come and uplift our spirits and comfort us. They did not do that, they shared the video, the children are traumatized now at home, instead of healing we keep on bleeding. We urge our South Africans that in future if something of this magnitude happen they must never and we grieve differently and this must not happen again.”
The provincial government, led by Premier Bushy Maape, assisted the family with the burial.
North West MEC for Social Development, Boitumelo Moiloa, has also echoed the call for an investigation into how this happened.
“As the provincial government, we are going to investigate who leaked that, because of the manner in which it is said. They’re saying the police were the only people, who were at the scene of the accident. So we are going to investigate as government because we can’t continue to do that.”
Mourners came in number to bid farewell to their loved ones. Some of them had this to say.
“We are very very much deeply touched by this tragedy that has occurred in this family, but even though we are faced with a profound situation, we ask them to know that their redeemer is alive and they must always be comforted in the lord.”
“We are so in pain as the community all in all.”
Three members of the family, who survived the accident, are recovering in hospital. The fourth survivor, the driver of a truck that collided with the family’s minibus escaped unharmed.
Police are investigating a case of culpable homicide.
Funeral service of 15 of the19 people who tragically died in a horrific accident last Saturday night is underway at the Ipelegeng Multipurpose Centre in Schweizer Reneke in North West.The 19 who are all relatives met the village in Taung.14 of the 19 are from the Ntlatseng family pic.twitter.com/XecpwRcFkw
— NWPGCommSafety (@NWPGCommSafety) March 6, 2022
15 members of the same family perish in Saturday’s North West collision:
