Thulamela mayor Cllr Grace Mahosi and members of the management team visited the griefstricken families of seven vitims of the road tragedy at Tshidzini on Sunday.

The entourage also included the head of the disaster management team at theThulamela Municipality, Mr Elias Chabalala.

The seven people lost their lives when the driver of one of the two cars, alleged to have been in an illegal drag race, lost control and ploughed into pedestrians. Most of the them attended a soccer match at the local sports field.

The incident, which shocked the peaceful village, also left  four injured.

“We are here as government because we know that these are difficult times for the families. You cannot handle the situation on your own and we are here to offer our condolences. The incident has shaken the whole country and this is no longer a family tragedy," Mahosi said.

At each family's home, prayers were offered and the families were told to put their trust in God. At the Magaligwa family home, grieving family members were overwhelmed and some collapsed during the visit.

The mayor also visited the injured at Donald Fraser Hospital.

Meanwhile, funeral preparations are underway and, according to local ward councillor, Cllr Tshimangadzo Malada, a task team has been established to oversee arrangements for the funeral. He said the victims would be buried during a mass funeral on Saturday (tomorrow).