TSHISAHULU - The survivor of the car accident in which two young activists lost their lives, spoke exclusively to Mirror for the first time after the horrible ordeal.

Ndivhuwo Muthivhi (23) of Tshisahulu village miraculously escaped death, when his two friends, Jonathan Ndou (25) and Maanda Munzhedzi (25), who were both involved in youth activities of the ANC, died at Dzindi Bridge, outside Thohoyandou. The activists were on their way to launch a Youth Council at Mapate village.

Ndou and Munzhedzi were buried at Makonde and Maraxwe last Saturday. They were both studying International Relations at the University of Venda (Univen).

Muthivhi, who was still visibly depressed and struggling to hold back his tears, told of his horrible experience. “The three of us were travelling in a Golf. When we were about to approach the bridge at Dzindi River, we saw a minibus with the hazard lights on just in front of us. Suddenly, there was this Conquest that was speeding very fast, which hit our Golf from behind and our car was forced off the road and hit the concrete wall of the bridge. After hitting the bridge, it rolled into the riverbed without Ndou and Munzhedzi, who fell out when the car was rolling. I was left alone when the car was still rolling. It rolled several times before it came to rest on the riverbed. From there, I don’t know what happened until I found myself at the Intensive Care Unit of the Tshilidzini Hospital.”

As a result of the accident, Muthivhi lost two teeth and he had minor injuries to his head. He also suffered fractured bones in his right arm. He is struggling to get to terms with the incident which has seriously depressed him since it happened.

“This is the most horrible experience of my life. I have never slept since that day and I have been suffering from shock and depression. I have been going through a difficult time since then and this has also affected my studies and daily life. I just thank the Almighty that I’m still surviving, but my heart sinks when I think about my two friends. We were always together. As students, we shared everything from soap to food but death has robbed me of my friends, whom I will always remember. I am now emotionally dead and I believe it will take a long time before I come back to my real senses. I believe I was lucky to survive and I will pick up the spear and continue the struggle where my late friends have left off.”

Muthivhi, a third year student for a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations degree at Univen, said the incident would always stick in his mind. He cannot believe that he has cheated death.