The community of Tshivhulana outside Vuwani received the shocking news on Friday morning that three pupils had been knocked down by a speeding vehicle at the local Tshivhulana Primary School. One of the learners, Vutomi Baloyi (7) died of her injuries while the two others, Dakalo Madadzhe and Lufuno Mutavhatsindi, were hospitalized with serious injuries.
Even though the children are from the same village, the school apparently never informed the parents of the tragedy. This has angered the parents, who had to be told by others.
The incident was widely condemned in the community. The acting traditional leader in the area, Chief Percy Netshivhulana, described the incident as a tragedy that had befallen his village. "We are still in shock here. When we take children to school, we entrust them to educators and we expect them to treat them as their own children. It is a huge shock that they are knocked down next to the school." He added that it was said that a teacher at the school was the driver of the vehicle.
The deceased's girl's father, Mr Falaza Witness Baloyi, said the conduct of the school, its management and SGB left much to be desired. He said they had acted in a manner that had added to their pain instead of comforting them.
"I am very hurt as a parent. Vutomi was my last-born and very close to me. What adds more pain to me is the conduct of the school, who did not bother to inform us as parents. We had to get it from the street, even though they have our telephone numbers."
He said that he would not "let the matter lie down and will go the legal way. Those responsible should account for their actions".
"This situation is not good and has torn our hearts as parents. The mother of the child is not coping, and we have not eaten since the incident, " said Baloyi.
Another parent, Mr Alfred Mutavhatsindi, whose daughter, Lufuno (8), suffered severe injuries and is still in hospital, said he was at work around Alldays when he received the bad news. "I informed my employers, who allowed me to rush back home. When I saw my daughter, I nearly fainted."
The spokesperson for the Limpopo Department of Education, Mr Sam Makondo, said that the department was saddened by the incident. He expressed condolences to the bereaved family and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
"We will, as a matter of urgency, dispatch a team of professionals to the school to give counselling to the school as the kids were traumatized," he said.
Limpopo police spokesperson Lt-Col Moatshe Ngoepe urged motorists to be extra cautious when driving. He condemned any form of reckless driving, especially speeding by drivers along the roads and streets crossing in and around schools. "The cause of this accident is still not clear at this stage and investigations are still continuing," said Ngoepe.