Well-known Louis Trichardt businessman dies in horror crash

Residents of Louis Trichardt learnt with great sadness of the sudden death of well-known local businessman Mr Abubakr Akoo. The 41-year-old Abubakr died tragically in a gruesome vehicle accident in the notorious Kranspoort Pass on the N11 road near Middelburg on Thursday morning.

At the time of the accident, Abubakr was traveling to Newcastle to visit his father. Reports from the scene indicate that the driver of a truck traveling down the steep mountain pass lost control and the truck collided with the BMW Abukakr was traveling in. In the process, Abubakr’s vehicle got trapped between the truck and the concrete barrier next to the road and was dragged along for more than 100 meters before the truck finally burst through the concrete barrier. Abubakr was killed on impact, while a man travelling with him in the passenger seat was critically injured. At the time of our going to press, the condition of the passenger and his identity were still not known.

Abubakr had numerous business interest, including being the owner of the Build It franchise in Louis Trichardt. He was also an academic in religious studies and an expert on comparative religion. He was known for having memorised the Quran and knowing it by heart.

The late Abubakr was buried at midnight Thursday evening at the Muslim cemetery in Newcastle. He is survived by his wife Fatima, three children with ages ranging from 7 to 12, his father Hafiz Aslam Akoo, mother Asiya Akoo, brother Mufti Mohammed Akoo and sisters Ayesha, Mariam, Asma and Sumaya.

Date:26 August 2022

By: Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

Read: 22501