The April family in Zwelitsha, Nyanga, consider themselves lucky that they escaped injury when a Golden Arrow bus plunged into their home nearly two weeks ago – but they are counting the cost of the damages.
The bus driver lost control after he was shot on Saturday September 23, while driving on Govan Mbeki Road. The bus veered off the road and drove into the April family’s house. The driver, whose identity has not been released by Golden Arrow, was died in the incident.
On Tuesday October 3, family and colleagues held a memorial service for the slain driver who is expected to be buried in the Eastern Cape this weekend.
In an interview with Vukani, a visibly shaken Mrozanne April described how she ran to notify her family as the bus approached their home.
The-17-year-old said her 12-year-old sister was lucky to be alive after the wall and roof fell on her. She said the drama which perhaps lasted for all of five minutes, had left them traumatised.
Mrozanne said minutes before the bus crushed into their home, she heard three gunshot being fired. She had been standing in the yard when she then saw the bus coming straight towards her home. She rushed to warn her family to get out of the house, but couldn’t save her young sister from getting hurt.
“My sister has since moved out of the house. She does not want to live here anymore because she has flashbacks of that incident.”
But, she said: “I praise God that she escaped the incident with minor injuries.” Golden Arrow spokesperson, Bronwen Dyke-Beyer, said two passengers had been taken to hospital with minor injuries.
“The families in the affected homes were provided with 24-hour security until an assessor could come out to assess the damage. The Company also assisted with a replacement structure on one of the properties,” she said.
Nyanga police station spokesperson Captain Ntomboxolo Sitshitshi, said the two shooting suspects were arrested on Sunday September 24.
“One suspect was arrested while walking in Browns Farm and the second one at his home. The suspects are from Old Location and New Crossroads,” she said. B
ut she said the after questioning the two suspects were released before they could go to court for further investigation and the investigation is ongoing.
