A trip in their light aircraft to attend a church service in Louis Trichardt nearly ended tragically for three young businessmen on Sunday. Their plane crashed in a field on a farm near Levubu, but all three managed to escape with only light injuries.
The airplane belongs to prominent Thohoyandou businessman Mr Humbulani Bvumbi, better known as "The Creator." Bvumbi owns the Thabelo Funeral Embassy, which has branches throughout the country. However, he was not on the plane that crashed, and it is believed that the pilot was one of his sons, Mukona (22) or Tshilidzi (21), who were both in the plane. The other passenger was Livingstone Junior Sandei Simango (20).
The exact cause of the emergency landing is not yet known. The plane experienced problems at around 11:00, and the pilot had to land in a bushy field at the Tshitwani Farm in the Levubu area. While the plane was extensively damaged, the passengers only sustained light injuries, with the pilot being more seriously injured, but not fatally.
Shortly after the near-catastrophic crash, Mr Humbulani Bvumbi posted a message on his TikTok account, assuring the community that they were safe. The condition of the three men was described as serious but not life-threatening.
In a statement released by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), it is stated that emergency rescue teams were quickly dispatched once reports were received that a light aircraft had crashed near the Thohoyandou Airfield.
"The Limpopo Province-contracted Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) was immediately placed on standby to respond. The first responders located the wreckage at the identified location, where the pilot and two passengers were treated and stabilised at the scene. The HEMS was activated to airlift the pilot, who suffered serious injuries, to a treating facility for further specialised medical treatment, while the two passengers were transported by ambulance for further medical treatment," the statement reads.
SACAA will conduct further investigations to determine the cause of the accident.
In an interview with Humbulani Bvumbi earlier this week, he said that he could only thank God for sparing the lives of the boys. "Looking at the extent of the wreckage, it shows the accident was severe, but God made sure they came out with their lives," he said.
Bvumbi confirmed that all three young men have been discharged from the hospital and are back at their homes.
"The accident has not changed how we see flying. Besides the one aircraft involved in the accident, we still have two other planes, and we continue to fly. Even on the day of the accident, I was flying the other one," he said.
Bvumbi added that everything in life carried some form of risk. "You drive a car, you sail a ship, accidents do happen. Even eating food is a risk, as you can also die," he said.