GQEBERHA – Almost 300 people died on the country’s roads over the Easter weekend. Seven of them were from the Binda family.
The driver, Khuthazwa Binda (55), was with her mother-in-law, her grandson(2),sister-in-law, brother-in-law and another brother-in-law and his wife.
The family told eNCA that two Toyota Avanzas were chasing Binda because they suspected she was running an illegal taxi service.
She lost control and hit an oncoming truck, instantly killing all seven occupants.
Binda’s daughter, Anesipho, lost her mother and her son in the crash.
"I’m devastated, I can’t think straight, and I’m at a loss for words about my mother and my child. I don’t even know what to say because I can’t process it properly. I feel incomplete without my mother. I still need her in my life."
The Binda family is struggling to come to terms with the Easter Sunday crash.
Family spokesperson Sisa Kona-Mbilana said they saw the crash on social media and at the time didn't know their family members were involved.
"They were coming from Soweto-On-Sea, here in Gqeberha, on a family gathering. My sister was taking the family back home to Motherwell. On her way, as she was driving on M17, the story that we are told by people who saw the accident they're saying she was chased by the Avanza taxi drivers. Because of that, she lost control of the car, and she collided with the truck on M17."
While Eastern Cape police are investigating a case of culpable homicide, Kona-Mbilana said taxi drivers need to abide by road rules like everyone.
“I have been seeing cars chased by taxis for taking people, and according to them, they are taking people illegally. And I think now it's high time that the taxi industry must know that there's law in South Africa. They are not the bosses of the road; they need to adhere as well to the law of the country."
eNCA went to the uNcedo Taxi Association offices in Njoli and were told the leadership had no information about the incident and weren't able to comment.