- Six pupils were struck by a car in Vanderbijlpark after leaving a house party on Sunday morning.
- The school the victims attended held a memorial service on Thursday.
- A case of culpable homicide has been opened and police are still investigating the matter.
"We planned on how we were going to succeed in life."
These were the words of Tshepo Mokhachane, as he recounted the tragedy in which two of his friends were killed when walking home from a party last week.
Six pupils were run over by a vehicle in Vanderbijlpark during the early hours of Sunday morning last week. Four victims died on the scene, while two others were rushed to hospital for treatment.
The victims, who were part of a larger group, were returning from a house party in nearby Bedworth Park. The incident happened in Vanderbijlpark as they were heading home to Bophelong.
Eighteen-year-old Mokhachane said they had decided to walk home as they didn't have enough money to call a taxi or e-hailing cab, after the transport that was promised didn't work out due to payment issues.
He said:
Two of the teens who died attended Sapphire Secondary School, while the other two were pupils at Tsolo Secondary School.
Sapphire Secondary held a memorial service on Thursday for its two deceased pupils - Katleho Pitjeng and Tshepang Nonyane.
Mokhachane recounted how the accident had happened in the blink of an eye.
"While I exchanged the cooler box with Pitjeng and Nonyane, we noticed bright lights in our direction. The car was swerving left and right, which made it difficult for us to avoid it. Others were running in different directions.
"The other girl jumped in front, and she was the first to get struck."
Mokhachane said he and Pitjeng were also struck by the car, before it ploughed into other people in the group, coming to a halt in nearby bushes.
Mokhachane recalls hearing loud cries as he lay on the floor injured. He said he could see bodies scattered across the scene.
He said:
Mokhachane described Pitjeng and Nonyane as "magrootman" (big brothers). He said they would often talk about how they would be successful in life.
Nonyane's father Teboho described his son as someone who loved dancing and was eager to finish school.
'I know he loved dancing'
"Most of the time when I [bumped] into him dancing, he would be embarrassed, but deep down I know he loved dancing. He told me, after finishing matric he is going to pursue a law degree."
As Teboho looked at his son's face on a pamphlet printed for the memorial service, he said he couldn't believe Tshepang was gone.
"I received a message in the early hours of Sunday morning, and a close family member told me about a post she saw on Facebook talking about the tragedy, and she recalls Tshepang had left [the party] with that group."
Teboho's relatives broke the news of Nonyane's death after he returned from church on Sunday afternoon.
One of Pitjeng's uncles expressed the family's gratitude for the support shown by Sapphire pupils and teachers at the memorial service.
"On Saturday, we will be accompanying Katleho to his final resting place in Unitas Park. Transport and food will be provided as we appreciate all of you," said the uncle.
Gauteng police spokesperson Dimakatso Sello said preliminary information indicated that the driver was trying to avoid the group.
"The driver was driving on Barrage Road when he suddenly saw a group of people walking on the road. He lost control of the vehicle trying to swerve from the group, hitting four of the victims who were declared dead on the scene," Sello said.
She said a case of culpable homicide had been opened and that the investigation was continuing.