BELA-BELA - Social workers have been sent to the families of a husband, wife, and their one-year-old child who died in a crash on the N1 outside Bela-Bela over the weekend.
Paul Masunda had accompanied his wife, Beauty, and their one-year-old child to board a bus to Zimbabwe on Saturday.
Masunda then crossed the N1 highway with his nephew, who had travelled with them.
Paul was struck by a vehicle driven by an off-duty officer and died at the scene.
According to Paul’s brother, Rabson, the nephew frantically called Beauty to inform her of her husband’s death.
Beauty, with her child on her back, reportedly ran across the highway and suffered the same fate as her husband.
She was struck by the vehicle in which Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi was travelling.
Previous reports indicated that Motsoaledi was travelling in a convoy.
However, during a visit to the family on Friday, the Minister explained that he was travelling in one vehicle with two protection officers inside.
"It's an accident," Masunda told eNCA. He does not blame the Minister or his protectors.
"They were on the N1 where there are markings for pedestrians," he adds.
READ: Mother and child killed in crash involving Minister Aaron Motsoaledi's vehicle
He said the driver of the Minister’s vehicle and the other driver could not have foreseen people crossing a freeway.
Masunda says the family is grateful for the support from social workers and Home Affairs officials as they prepare to repatriate the bodies of their loved ones.
Minister Motsoaledi visited the family on Friday to offer his condolences.
"There are two people who are facing culpable homicide charges, which is unfortunate," he said.