A 35-year-old policeman, Const Ntavhanyeni Romeo Makatu of the Thohoyandou Tactical Response team, was killed in a vehicle accident at the N1 T-junction to Witvlag on Sunday evening. According to a police report, Makatu's vehicle was involved in a collision with a bus and a truck.
A passenger in the policeman's vehicle was seriously injured and transferred from Louis Trichardt to the provincial hospital in Polokwane.
After news of Makatu's death broke, the police services in Vhembe were plunged into deep mourning. Policemen arrived at the scene in numbers and they struggled for hours to free their deceased colleague, who was trapped in the mangled wreckage of the vehicle.
Const Irene Radzilani, spokesperson for the Makhado police, confirmed the accident. "This is one of the worst accidents to have happened in our area and we would like to convey our condolences to the family who have lost their loved one," she said. "We are again calling on all road users to practice caution and to obey all road rules, more specifically to adhere to the speed limit," she said.
Mr Freddy Makatu, spokesperson for the family, said they were still shocked about the incident. "We are very touched as a family. It is only God who knows why it happened like this. It is very painful to lose people like this," he said.
Const Makatu will be buried at Zamenkomste on Sunday. The service will start at 06:00. He is survived by his wife, two children, his mother and a younger brother and sister.