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HEADTEACHER AMONG 16 CHRISTMAS DEATHS

By BONGIWE DLAMINI and MELISA MSWELI | 2024-12-28

Faced with financial challenges, Mshengu High School Headteacher
Kenneth Simelane was among 16 people who died over the Christmas holiday.

Kenneth committed suicide on Christmas Day, amid the school’s results being withheld for owing examination fees.

His younger brother Christopher said they had a sorrowful Christmas after learning of his brother’s passing.

According to Christopher, who is a Headteacher at Boyane High School, Kenneth was discovered hanging from the rafters of his house by a neighbour, who came looking for him on Christmas Day, around 10am.

He said the neighbour then raised the alarm and alerted the family of the shocking discovery.
Christopher said they were still shocked by the incident and did not expect that Kenneth could take his life.

He stated that Kenneth had revealed to some of the family members, himself included, the financial challenges he was faced with and that some of the people he owed were now threatening him.

“He indicated that he was faced with financial challenges in numerous conversations we had and that some of the people were threatening him.

We spoke about all his challenges and I am still shocked that he took his life,” said Christopher, who went on to add that they thought these were minor problems which could be solved by April.

He further said they were still confused because Kenneth’s phone was missing.
“We have searched everywhere for it and have not been able to find it,” he stated.

Christopher further stated that the family was still to find out more information on what exactly happened that could have led to Kenneth taking his life, more especially as they had discussed his financial challenges on a number of occasions.

He said they had planned to visit the school to meet the relevant stakeholders in the education sector in a quest to find closure.

He said until then, they could only confirm that their brother did mention financial issues though they do not know if it was related to any school funds.

After news of Kenneth’s death started circulating, it was further revealed that his school’s Form III results had been withheld because the examination fee had not been paid.

Shiselweni Regional Education Officer, Siboniso Gumbi, said a relative called to inform him about Kenneth’s demise.

Explaining about the results, Gumbi confirmed that the school owed examination fees though he was not privy to the exact amount and further clarified that government had paid all fees under the Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) grants, which were transferred directly to the relevant accounts.

He further stated that there were many factors that could contribute to the school owing examination fees making an example of parents failure tto pay.

“We will have that information when schools open next year,” he said, explaining that an audit was still to be conducted and only then would they be in a position to state what exactly happened.

Ten others died in road accidents, two of which were hit and run.
Three murder cases were reported at Fairview, Maphungwane, and Lubulini all on Christmas Day, while a toddler drowned and a man fell off a trolley at Simunye sugar mill.

Road accidents claim 10 lives

Ten lives were lost in accidents that happened on the country’s roads in a period of three days.
Seven of the accidents happened on Christmas Day, and an eight-year-old girl was among those who were killed. According to sources, the girl was knocked down by a government vehicle along MR19 public road at Siphocosini around 6pm.

Eyewitnesses said the vehicle’s registration suggested that it is assigned to the ministry of public works and transport and the driver could not be identified save for that he was male and was dark in complexion.

The driver is said to have not stopped after the accident.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the incident and said the vehicle is suspected to be damaged on the left front corner as a result of the accident.

In another accident, two men of Mbuluzi aged 19 and 22 were killed after the car they were driving in veered of the road at Pine Valley around 8:30am on Christmas Day and still on the same day two women aged 27 from Maphungwane and Ncangosini were also killed after the car they were driving in was knocked by another while at kaKhoza traffic lights in Manzini.

The women were passengers in a Toyota Corolla sedan that was driven by a 27-year-old man of Ncangosini.

“While at the traffic lights, a Nissan LDV driven by a 48-year-old man of Mbekelweni collided at a right angle with a Toyota Corolla, resulting in the two women sustaining serious injuries to which they later succumbed to while undergoing treatment at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital,” reported Vilakati.

She said both drivers and another passenger in the Corolla also sustained serious injuries and were admitted at the same hospital, while a 33-year- old man of kaKhoza who was a passenger in the Nissan LDV sustained minor injuries, and he was treated and discharged at the same institution.

Further, six cattle that had strayed onto the road along Gege-Nhlangano public road resulted in an accident that claimed a life on Wednesday night.

The deceased (42) was a passenger in a VW Golf sedan driven by a 36-year-old man of Musi. He was certified dead upon arrival at Nhlangano Health Centre. Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle was also seriously injured in the head and left arm, and his other 26-year-old female passenger sustained injuries in the head.

The two were admitted at Nhlangano Health Centre. Three of the six cattle that caused the accident died on the spot.

Another accident happened at Tincatsavaneni where a pedestrian was killed in a hit and run accident. On December 23 and 24, three accidents were reported at Mvembili, Hlatikulu and Siphofaneni.

On December 23, a 29-year-old man of Sidvwashini who was driving a Nissan LDV knocked a stationary Nissan from behind and further went on to knock down a 24-year-old male pedestrian of Mvembili . The pedestrian sustained serious injuries in the head and was certified dead upon arrival at Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital.

At Othandweni, Siphofaneni, a Honda fit driven by a 34-year-old man of Sinceni collided head-on with an Isuzu double cab driven by a 36-year-old man of kaNgcamphalala.

The driver of the Honda fit sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Good Shepherd hospital where he was certified dead upon arrival. The driver of the Isuzu was also injured and taken to RFM hospital where he was treated and discharged.

Meanwhile, a 39-year-old man of Ebenezer who was driving a Nissan LDV, which was knocked from behind by a Toyota Quantum driven by a 42-year-old man, sustained injuries in the neck and died while undergoing treatment at Hlatikulu Government hospital.

Besides the 10 fatal road accidents, five other people were killed during the same period between Monday and Wednesday. These include a two-year-old toddler who drowned in a canal at KuMnisi, St Philip’s, and a 36-year-old man of Mantambe who fell off a mobile trolley at Simunye sugar mill. All in all, there were 16 deaths over the three-day period, and all incidents were confirmed by Vilakati.

‘Road accidents
cause for concern’

The Minister of Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe ha expressed concern over the high statistics of road carnages that are continuously recorded in the country.

The minister said it was unfortunate that lives continued being lost when a majority of the road accidents were a result recklessness and disobedience of traffic laws by certain individuals.

He said statistics had in the past proven that that only a few of these fatal accidents happened by chance.

Nonetheless, Ndwandwe said his ministry in collaboration with other stakeholders would continue sensitising all road users on the importance of adhering to all traffic laws and ensuring that they are fit to get behind the steering wheel in order to protect all road users.

“However, our efforts could be futile if motorists and other road users do not play their part in this drive to prevent road accidents,” said the minister.

When quizzed about the road accident involving a vehicle from his ministry, Ndwandwe said he had not heard about it at the time. However, he said he hoped the police would conduct investigations and bring the culprit to book.

Form V pupil, friend
in horrific accident

Christmas celebrations turned sombre after a Form V pupil (22) and his 19-year-old friend succumbed to injuries they sustained during a horrific accident at Pine Valley.

The 22-year-old man is said to have been driving an old white Nissan LDV with registration number SSD 832 AH when he lost control of the vehicle. Sources said the car was from the Mbabane direction and headed towards Mbuluzi when it veered off the road and knocked a telephone pole before grazing through several trees.

Sources said an unsettling revving sound was heard before the sound of a crash reverberated through the bushes, causing residents with homes near the road to rush to the scene. One of these residents, who identified himself as James, said he was feeding his dogs when he heard the vehicle crash.

James, who was found mending his fence through which the crashed, said the vehicle was trapped between trees within his compound. Even so, he said the two occupants were still breathing when more neighbours arrived.

“They sustained serious injuries on the head and body,” said James.
However, the 19-year-old is said to have become unconscious while the driver was taken to hospital by an ambulance that had swiftly responded to calls to the scene.

“A neighbour who is a doctor was asked to assist the 19-year-old, but it was too late,” stated James. Describing the vehicle, the property owner said it was too old such that its two rear tyres had its metal cords exposed.

The 19-year-old was certified dead upon arrival at Mbabane Government Hospital while the driver also later died while undergoing treatment at the same hospital.

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