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Wife blames herself for drunk hubby dumping her on road

UNITED IN LOVE: Maria Sikhosana comforts her injured husband Jacob after a car accident in Bapsfontein, outside Johannesburg. Her three-year-old son Manqoba was uninjured. Pic. Lucky Nxumalo.
UNITED IN LOVE: Maria Sikhosana comforts her injured husband Jacob after a car accident in Bapsfontein, outside Johannesburg. Her three-year-old son Manqoba was uninjured. Pic. Lucky Nxumalo.

Mfundekelwa Mkhulisi

Mfundekelwa Mkhulisi

Maria Skhosana of Crystal Park in Ekurhuleni regrets starting a quarrel that led to her drunk husband abandoning her on the roadside in Bapsfontein at the weekend.

Maria, 34, her husband Jacob, 43, and their three-year-old son, Manqoba were returning home after visiting a relative in Bronkhorstspruit, when she was dumped.

She hitched a lift and shortly afterwards saw her husband's car. It had overturned and her husband and child had been taken to hospital.

Sitting next to her injured husband at their home yesterday, Maria said, had they not fought, the accident would not have happened.

"I think I made him angry, and he could not concentrate on the road," she said.

The family had gone to collect a dog from a relative and, while they were there, an argument started when Maria did not want to leave.

"I cannot tell you why I did not want to go," she said.

She later agreed to go home, but on their way another argument broke out over the speed at which Jacob was driving.

"I wanted to get out of the car with my son, but he refused to stop.

"Later he agreed to drop me off, on condition he could leave with the child."

Jacob drove off with Manqoba, but a few kilometres from where he dumped his wife, lost control of his car and it overturned.

Ekurhuleni metro police spokesman Mveli Nhlapo alleged Jacob was drunk when the accident happened.

His wife saw their Toyota bakkie lying on its back at the side of the road and asked the people who had given her a lift to stop and investigate.

"Paramedics said the occupants had been airlifted to hospital because Jacob was seriously injured," she said.

Jacob was admitted to Themba Hospital in Hammanskraal, North West, but later transferred to Pretoria Academic Hospital when his condition deteriorated.

Manqoba was not injured.

Jacob said he had been trying to avoid a person in the road and did not know what happened next.

"I woke up in hospital and I was told that I had broken my left collarbone," he said.

Maria said they had put the past behind them and she was concentrating on helping her husband recover.

"He needs me and I will be there for him," she said.

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