Drama at alleged drag victims funeral

There was drama during the funeral of the seven alleged drag-race victims, when families threatened to take their loved ones and bury them on their own and boycott the mass funeral.

The chaotic situation developed on Saturday at Tshikambe outside Thohoyandou.

The seven, Wilson Ravhanga, Thifhelimbilu Magaligwa, Daphney Mbedzi, Vhusiwana Rangani, Kenneth Nemaungani, Muneiwa Munwai and Tsumbedzo Ravhanga were killed a fortnight ago, when the driver of a speeding car believed to have been involved in a drag race lost control and ploughed into them. Four others, including the driver, were injured during the accident.

During the funeral, the families appealed to the government to increase traffic police visibility in the area.

The emotional funeral, attended by locals from the three villages where the victims lived, politicians and church leaders, was addressed by the newly appointed MEC for Roads and Transport, Pitsi Moloto. School children and club mates of some of the victims could not control their emotions and some wept openly.

The mass funeral was delayed by an hour, due to problems with the seating arrangements. At that point, angry members of the bereaved families, some of whom did not even have places to sit, threatened take their loved ones and to conduct their own services. The timely intervention of motivational speaker Humbelani Netshandama and Thulamela municipal official Mulalo Nemakonde averted what would have been a major embarrassment to the municipality.

Bereaved family members only got places in the sweltering heat because their seats were occupied by other mourners. A few minutes after the commencement of the service, MEC Pitsi Moloto arrived with blaring sirens.

Representing the families, Pastor Christopher Nevhutalu told those gathered that the families were not happy with the way things were being run. “As families we are not happy at all. First of all, everyone can see that we do not have even seats. We were made to sit in the sun, while people who are not even our relatives were sitting in the shade,” he said.

Nevhutalu said the municipality had taken them for a ride by making false promises. “We had thought that they would lend us a helping hand in this time of need, but all they could do was to clean the roads and the sportsfield where the funeral is being held,” he said,

He said they had been promised a big tent that would accommodate all, but that promise too had not been fulfilled either. Nevhutalu said he was worried that officials might have raised funds in the name of  the families which had not been used for the benefit of the families at all.

“We were promised an 80kg bag of mielie meal, but only a 50kg and some sugar were given to each of the families, while the officials feed themselves with good food. We feel very unhappy about it,” he said.

MEC Pitsi Moloto urged motorists to drive cautiously to avoid more carnage on the road. Earlier on, residents had called on the government to intensify road safety and claimed that one of the causes was the non-visibility of traffic officers during the night.

Moloto said the department was looking at the issue of overtime, so that there would be officers all the time.

After the ceremony at the sports field, the victims were buried at different cemeteries.

Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle that had killed the seven people is still in hospital under police guard. He is facing seven counts of murder and four of attempted murder.

The United African Apostolic Church (UAAC) also announced this week, that the church had donated a total of R30 000 to families of their three members killed in the accident.

News - Date: 26 March 2012

Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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