Ntwaagae Seleka and Sibongile Mashaba
Ntwaagae Seleka and Sibongile Mashaba
A Soweto sangoma says she will find it impossible to erase from her mind the memory of the child who came flying into her yard after being hit by a speeding car yesterday.
Maud Sibiya, 46, was sitting in her yard with her trainees in Zola, Soweto.
A green Mercedes-Benz dragging Lesego Diale, 4, who was trapped underneath it, catapulted her into her yard.
In the ensuing chaos, amid flying bricks and debris as the car crashed, two of her trainee sangomas had to be hospitalised after being hit by flying bricks.
"As the car came flying into my yard bricks from my wall hit my house," she said. "It was chaotic. Everybody was running for cover.
"I heard a bang. And suddenly bricks from my wall were flying everywhere. I saw a child among them. The car landed on the scattered bricks."
The accident happened at about 11am.
She said the driver smelt of liquor and appeared drunk.
"I rushed to the car and saw a child's head under the front wheel. We lifted the car and tried to rescue her but she was dead.
"I am still shocked and do not know what to do or how I will ever erase that image from my mind," she said.
Lesego's mother, Adelaide Diale, 42, said she had visited her brother when he asked the child to go with him to the local supermarket.
"A few minutes after they had left my brother was running back home and told me what had happened," Diale said.
The grieving mother said she rushed to the scene but was prevented from going near the car by people who had gathered there.
"I eventually got to the car and could just see Lesego's sandal underneath the vehicle," Diale said.
"I had planned to throw her a big party on October 5 when she would have celebrated her 5th birthday," said the mother.
Jabulani police spokesman Inspector Kay Makhubela said last night that they had not received a report about the incident.
But the mother and neighbours said the police were on scene during the day and took statements. They also towed the car away.
Reporters were on the scene when a police tow truck removed the vehicle.
Percy Morokane of emergency services said the driver of the car appeared to have been negligent.
He said the driver had been admitted to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. He confirmed that the police had worked on the scene of the accident yesterday and was surprised to learn that they did not have a report.
SANGOMA torment AS CRASH KILLS kid
Ntwaagae Seleka and Sibongile Mashaba
Ntwaagae Seleka and Sibongile Mashaba
A Soweto sangoma says she will find it impossible to erase from her mind the memory of the child who came flying into her yard after being hit by a speeding car yesterday.
Maud Sibiya, 46, was sitting in her yard with her trainees in Zola, Soweto.
A green Mercedes-Benz dragging Lesego Diale, 4, who was trapped underneath it, catapulted her into her yard.
In the ensuing chaos, amid flying bricks and debris as the car crashed, two of her trainee sangomas had to be hospitalised after being hit by flying bricks.
"As the car came flying into my yard bricks from my wall hit my house," she said. "It was chaotic. Everybody was running for cover.
"I heard a bang. And suddenly bricks from my wall were flying everywhere. I saw a child among them. The car landed on the scattered bricks."
The accident happened at about 11am.
She said the driver smelt of liquor and appeared drunk.
"I rushed to the car and saw a child's head under the front wheel. We lifted the car and tried to rescue her but she was dead.
"I am still shocked and do not know what to do or how I will ever erase that image from my mind," she said.
Lesego's mother, Adelaide Diale, 42, said she had visited her brother when he asked the child to go with him to the local supermarket.
"A few minutes after they had left my brother was running back home and told me what had happened," Diale said.
The grieving mother said she rushed to the scene but was prevented from going near the car by people who had gathered there.
"I eventually got to the car and could just see Lesego's sandal underneath the vehicle," Diale said.
"I had planned to throw her a big party on October 5 when she would have celebrated her 5th birthday," said the mother.
Jabulani police spokesman Inspector Kay Makhubela said last night that they had not received a report about the incident.
But the mother and neighbours said the police were on scene during the day and took statements. They also towed the car away.
Reporters were on the scene when a police tow truck removed the vehicle.
Percy Morokane of emergency services said the driver of the car appeared to have been negligent.
He said the driver had been admitted to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. He confirmed that the police had worked on the scene of the accident yesterday and was surprised to learn that they did not have a report.