By Luvuyo Mjekula
The fatal taxi crash in “O” Street at the weekend sent shockwaves across Makhanda, and the local community is still trying to come to terms with the tragedy.
Six people – the driver of the taxi, four passengers and a teenage boy, who was walking on the pavement when he was hit by the taxi, were all declared dead at the scene on the Saturday afternoon.
The police have released the names of the deceased. The driver of the taxi was 50-year-old Ngenisile Yamiso. The three female passengers were Lindeka Chonco (21), Nomgcobo Fete (26) and
Unathi Che (29). The male passenger was Siviwe Nase (43) and the pedestrian who was run over by the vehicle was 14-year-old Luniko Kotyi.
The accident is believed to have been caused by failure of the taxi’s brakes. The vehicle reportedly first hit Luniko, who is believed to have been on his way home from a sporting event, and then smashed into an RDP house, destroying the entire front of the building.
According to police spokesperson, Captain Marius McCarthy, the taxi veered off the road and collided with a house in “O” Street. “It is alleged that the Inyathi minibus taxi was moving at a high speed down “M” Street, colliding with a male, minor person before crashing into a house in “O” Street.
The six people were certified dead on the scene by Emergency Medical Services, said McCarthy, adding that three other women, who had serious injuries, were taken to Settlers Hospital for medical attention.
He said Joza police had opened a docket of culpable homicide for investigation.
Before rescue and emergency teams arrived at the horrific scene, nearby residents were seen scurrying to help those who had survived but were stuck in the mangled vehicle.
Scores of onlookers soon packed the scene as paramedics also arrived and tended to the injured passengers and police officers secured the scene. The road was closed for hours as police carried out their investigations and traffic officers redirected traffic.
A resident of “O” Street, Siya Tinise, who witnessed the accident, told Grocott’s Mail that as he walked out of his residence on the fateful afternoon, his four-year-old daughter called him back to ask for a kiss. The next thing he saw was a taxi coming down “M” Street at high speed. “I was sure its brakes had failed,” Tinise said.
He said the driver veered between two oncoming taxis before tragically hitting the boy on the pavement. Tinise said he believed the driver deliberately avoided collision with the two taxis to prevent further catastrophe. He said it was unfortunate that the boy became a casualty. He said the taxi was going so fast that it appeared to “fly off the ground” before crashing into the house.
Tinise said the house owner, Zibongile Jali, who had left his house shortly before the accident, and his children, were lucky to be away from their home.
The accident has left the Makhanda community in utter shock, with some fearing for their children’s lives due to the “dangerous” bend in “O” Street as well as alleged rampant reckless driving.
The residents called on the authorities to place a traffic officer in the area to monitor driving and motorists’ behaviour.
