Pretoria - The Khomola family in Salvokop said they were still living in pain and despair as they buried their twin girls while the children’s killer remains on the run.
The girls, 5-year-old Munewa and Munei, were buried on Sunday in Venda. Their funeral was attended by Tshwane ANC councillor Fortune Mampuru and others officials, who joined the family, friends and community members.
The girls and one other child were killed by a speeding BMW sedan two Saturdays ago in Salvokop, near the Kgosi Mampuru Prison and at the foot of the iconic Freedom Park.
The driver had lost control of the car and it ploughed into a group of bystanders at a traffic circle, before hitting a tree.
The driver, who was with two others, fled the scene, but not before being grabbed by one of the mothers and allegedly being beaten. The accident also left others injured, among them a pregnant woman.
The twins’ mother, Elelwani Khomola, yesterday said it was very painful to bury her children, especially with them being so young and inocent.
She and everyone else remained devastated by the incident, and she still suffered from anxiety because she was there with the girls when they were hit by the car.
She was discharged last Thursday from hospital to allow her time to prepare for the funeral and to bury her children, but she said, she was still not in a good condition and could not walk properly.
She is scheduled to go back to the hospital this week.
“I have never thought that one day I will bury my own kids, this is painful and unbearable. The house is empty, it’s just the two of us now and we are very lonely.
“I really want the suspect to be caught so that we can meet him in court, and they sentence him, because what he did is inhuman and has left us traumatised.”
Khomola described the suspect as someone who was outgoing and would sometimes drink with her husband.
She said they knew him because he used to live in Salvokop.
“My husband would drink with him sometimes before he moved to Pretoria, but never have I thought he would do something like this.
“We also heard that he has a girlfriend here in Salvokop, but when we tried to reach out to her on his whereabouts she refused to tell us.”
She added that not one of the people who know the man is talking; they appear to be scared to reveal the truth of his whereabouts.
Alfred Tanuvinga, the father of the twins, said they were trying to cope, but it was hard, and they were struggling to deal with this as they were still in shock.
“I would really appreciate it if the police would communicate with us and update us on the case, because we are left in the dark as the suspect is still on the run.
“It is still a challenge because this thing happened so suddenly ... we were not expecting it. We are struggling mentally.”
The Parenyi family, who also lost their daughter, 4-year-old Privelege, in the accident, went to Zimbabwe to bury their daughter, and are expected to come back at the end of the month.
The police yesterday said they were on the lookout for the man who caused the accident. Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said: “Police in Pretoria are searching for a man who killed the three children and injured another six people who were there.
“Police have opened a case of culpable homicide, reckless and negligent driving, as well as defeating the ends of justice.
“We have not found the suspect yet but we are working tirelessly to catch and arrest him,” he said.
Pretoria News