Siyabonga Myeni had been driving the taxi he perished in on the M1 Highway on Wednesday for almost two years.
The 27-year-old father of four from KwaNongoma in KwaZulu-Natal died when a scaffold bridge fell on the taxi he was driving near Grayston Drive in Sandton, Johannesburg.
The passengers he was transporting were injured, some critically. The accident claimed the lives of two people, including Myeni. His brother Bhekokwakhe said the family was crushed.
"It is painful that he died the way he did. Our mother has been unable to speak since she heard the news," he said.
"The most painful thing is that his children are still young. It will be difficult to make them understand. Our wish is that we work with authorities and give him a befitting burial," he said.
Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau met Myeni's family at the Alexandra Taxi Association offices in Sandton yesterday.
"We will lend a helping hand according [to] the family's needs. Our focus is on comforting the families," said Tau, who also visited Milpark Hospital where four of five family members were being treated for injuries.
The five family members from eThekwini were travelling in the same car in which the fifth member died. Their relative would have celebrated his first wedding anniversary in two weeks' time.
Tau said investigations into the tragedy would take time. "It is not something you can do overnight. When you look at what happened, there is no obvious reason why it happened ."
Tau was accompanied by Murray & Roberts CEO Henry Laas. The company was responsible for the construction of the collapsed bridge.
Driver's family devastated - bridge collapse
Siyabonga Myeni had been driving the taxi he perished in on the M1 Highway on Wednesday for almost two years.
The 27-year-old father of four from KwaNongoma in KwaZulu-Natal died when a scaffold bridge fell on the taxi he was driving near Grayston Drive in Sandton, Johannesburg.
The passengers he was transporting were injured, some critically. The accident claimed the lives of two people, including Myeni. His brother Bhekokwakhe said the family was crushed.
"It is painful that he died the way he did. Our mother has been unable to speak since she heard the news," he said.
"The most painful thing is that his children are still young. It will be difficult to make them understand. Our wish is that we work with authorities and give him a befitting burial," he said.
Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau met Myeni's family at the Alexandra Taxi Association offices in Sandton yesterday.
"We will lend a helping hand according [to] the family's needs. Our focus is on comforting the families," said Tau, who also visited Milpark Hospital where four of five family members were being treated for injuries.
The five family members from eThekwini were travelling in the same car in which the fifth member died. Their relative would have celebrated his first wedding anniversary in two weeks' time.
Tau said investigations into the tragedy would take time. "It is not something you can do overnight. When you look at what happened, there is no obvious reason why it happened ."
Tau was accompanied by Murray & Roberts CEO Henry Laas. The company was responsible for the construction of the collapsed bridge.