The Mphephu SAPS Adopt a Station Pastors Forum, in collaboration with the Makhado Municipality, the Department of Roads and Transport and the community of Luvhalani, held a healing and cleansing ceremony on Wednesday, next to the spot where a fatal head-on bus accident occurred on 19 February last year.
The accident claimed the lives of 19 people who were on their way to work.
According to the chairperson of the forum, Pastor Balanganani Nengwenda, the purpose of the function was to embark on a prayer session with the aim of remembering the 19 victims of the accident. In addition, the station commissioner of the Mphephu SAPS, Sr Supt Dovhani Luvhengo, urged the communities of Nzhelele and Vhembe District to support each other in activities in the area. "We felt that since the incident happened within our policing area, we had to do something. That is why we made the ceremony possible with the assistance of our pastor's forum," said Luvhengo.
The South African Funeral Parlour Association donated the monument-like tombstone, with all the names of the victims of the accident. The mayor of the Makhado Municipality, Cllr Glory Mashaba, and Khosikhulu Vho Tony Mphephu Ramabulana unveiled the monument. She expressed her appreciation to the pastors' forum as well as the Mphephu Police Station in reaffirming their commitment to ensure that February 19, 2007, always be remembered by the community.
Khosikhulu Vho Tony Mphephu Ramabulana appealed to the community to take care of their animals and ensure that they don't go near the public road. "The animals are causing a lot of accidents in our area," he said.