Times Of Swaziland: 3-CAR CRASH: TEACHER DIES; PUPILS, NURSE RUSHED TO HOSPITAL

3-CAR CRASH: TEACHER DIES; PUPILS, NURSE RUSHED TO HOSPITAL
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Thokozani Mamba on 18/07/2023 16:56:00


LUKHULA – A 50-year-old female teacher of one of the schools in the Lubombo
Region lost her life yesterday morning, after the vehicle she was driving, a
Corsa Utility van, was involved in an accident with two other vehicles.
The other vehicles were a Toyota Quantum and a VW sedan. The Quantum had pupils
on board among its passengers and the VW sedan was driven by a nurse. The
accident happened at around 6am at Budvodza-abukhulelwa area under Lukhula
community. Siceliwe Maziya was a teacher at Loyiwe Primary School, situated in
Maphungwane community. She is survived by two children, according to her sister
Sithembile. Sithembile said they were still shocked as a family, as they did not
anticipate the untimely demise of Siceliwe. “I arrived at the scene after her
body had been taken to the hospital. We are still shocked as a family and are
traumatised on what has just happened,” she said. According to witnesses,
Siceliwe was driving the white Opel Corsa utility van from Lukhula towards Big
Bend and was followed by a black VW sedan, while the Quantum ferrying pupils and
passengers, was driving from the Big Bend direction towards Lukhula.
Indicators
The witness shared that the teacher signalled, through her indicators, that she
was entering her homestead just about 2km from the Lukhula-Siteki T-Junction and
slowed down. “I could not establish what prompted the driver of the VW sedan
to hit the Corsa van, as just in the twinkling of an eye, the Quantum hit the
van and dragged it until it reached the fence of the teacher’s homestead.
Motorists had to stop to attend the van and the screaming pupils while an
ambulance was called to take them  to the hospital. The police also acted
promptly and arrived at the scene together with the Fire, Rescue and Emergency
Services personnel in about 20 minutes,” said the witness.
It was also established that the family members of Siceliwe also witnessed the
accident as they were waiting for her at the gate, including her mother, to pick
some items she had bought before embarking on her journey to her school. About
five pupils who were on board the kombi were treated and discharged at the Good
Shepherd Catholic Hospital (GSCH). The pupils were being transported to their
respective schools, namely Siteki Nazarene High, Mpaka Railway Primary and Mpaka
High. It was gathered that one pupil sustained an injury on the right eye, while
the four others sustained minor bruises.
The eyewitness stated that the body of the teacher was trapped inside her
vehicle and was retrieved by the Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services personnel,
from the Siteki Fire Station. Adding, the witness claimed that the lifeless body
of the teacher was then whisked to the hospital where she was certified dead
upon arrival. “I think the kombi driver made an error on his calculations as
when he tried to avoid the van, he then hit it and dragged it, yet if he had
stopped, the accident could have been avoided,” said the witness. The nurse,
*Sindi, who was driving the VW sedan, was also treated and discharged after she
sustained injuries on her mouth and hands including minor bruises on her body.
The nurse works for one of the clinics in the Lubombo Region. She said she could
not recollect what happened due to the fact that the accident happened so fast.
“I just saw the van indicating, signalling that the driver was entering a home
and at that instance, I saw the kombi hitting the van and thereafter I could not
recall what happened,” she said.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile
Vilakati said the 50-year-old woman who was the driver of the Corsa utility van
was confirmed dead upon arrival at the hospital. “Yes, we have an accident in
our records that claimed the life of a 50-year-old woman who was the driver and
was confirmed dead at the hospital,” she said. Meanwhile, in May 2021, eight
pupils from Siteki Nazarene primary and high school cheated death when a Siyaya
kombi they were travelling in overturned while ferrying them to their respective
schools.  The accident happened just around 7am along the Lukhula-Siteki Public
Road near the Buckwood Guest House junction. The pupils sustained minor injuries
and bruises and were treated and discharged at GSCH.
*Not real names