Tragic farewell: Community mourns three young lives lost in Vanderbijlpark crash
All little Ofentse Vinger’s mother wanted was for someone to tell her it was all just a prank — that her son was not really dead.
But that hope never came, and it sadly never will, as Sunday brought the final goodbye to the six-year-old, his small casket one of three lined up at the front of the Saul Tsotetsi Multipurpose Centre in Sebokeng in the Vaal.
Thato Moetjie and Bokamoso Mokhobo, both from Hoërskool Vanderbijlpark, along with Ofentse, a Grade 1 pupil at Oliver Lodge Primary School, were among the 14 pupils killed when a minibus taxi ferrying learners smashed into a truck on the R553.
“I keep hoping someone will wake me up from this nightmare or tell me it’s a prank,” Ofentse’s mother wrote in a letter read out by family representative Mamotse Madlela.
“Seeing people write ‘rest in peace’ with your name and picture doesn’t feel right.
“You were supposed to be burying me, not this trauma.”
She said on the first day of school, she waited until midnight to pray for her son.
“I prayed that God would walk with you through your education journey, not knowing you would only go to school for three days,” Madlela read.
“I don’t understand, and I will ask God why for the rest of my life.
“I am a mother today because of you, and I will forever be grateful for that.”
She said she had been angry all week.
“I have been so angry. I have been angry at God, because what do you mean this is His will?
“We are going to miss you — your laughter, your stories and your stubbornness, which you unfortunately took from me.
“You left a void in my heart that no one will ever fill.
“I honestly don’t know what is going to happen to me after today. I am dreading the weeks ahead, because once everyone has left, how are we going to cope?”
She added: “I feel like I’m in a horrible dream. I am not okay, and I never will be okay.
“I just hope God helps me forgive the person who caused me this pain.
“Good night, my angel. I will love you until my last breath.”
The January 19 crash happened as the children were travelling to school in a minibus taxi on the R553 near Vanderbijlpark. The taxi collided with a truck, killing Offentse, Thato and Bokamoso, along with 11 other pupils.
Gauteng police arrested the 22-year-old driver of the scholar transport on Tuesday, January 20, after being released from the hospital.
There are 12 counts of culpable murder against him, as well as counts of reckless and negligent driving.
Thato was described as a bright and determined learner from Vanderbijlpark and was just weeks before she was meant to write her final matric examinations, leaving a family shattered.
Her death has left her classmates traumatised and in mourning.
In an official tribute, the Gauteng Provincial Government described the memorial as a “Joint Funeral Service of the Late Vanderbijlpark Learners”.
Born on February 6, 2009, Thato was raised with dreams far bigger than her years.
She began her schooling at Sivuse Primary School before moving on to Hoërskool Vanderbijlpark, where she was completing matric.
The government’s tribute captures her essence movingly, describing her as “a bold and confident young girl—bubbly in spirit, full of life, and unafraid to stand up for herself.”
“Thato dreamed of studying abroad and aspired to become a doctor, driven by a deep desire to make a difference in the lives of others,” the provincial government said.
Those who knew her say that dream was not idle ambition, but a reflection of her caring nature and quiet determination to rise above circumstance.
Her laughter, they say, filled classrooms and corridors, and her absence has left an unbearable silence.
The January 19 crash happened as the children were travelling to school in a minibus taxi on the R553. The taxi collided with a truck, killing Offentse, Thato and Bokamoso, along with 11 other pupils.
Gauteng police arrested the 22-year-old driver of the scholar transport on Tuesday, January 20, after being released from the hospital.
There are 12 counts of culpable murder against him, as well as counts of reckless and negligent driving.
Thato was described as a bright and determined learner from Vanderbijlpark and was just weeks before she was meant to write her final matric examinations, leaving a family shattered.
Her death has left her classmates traumatised and in mourning.
In an official tribute, the Gauteng Provincial Government described the memorial as a “Joint Funeral Service of the Late Vanderbijlpark Learners”.
Born on February 6, 2009, Thato was raised with dreams far bigger than her years.
She began her schooling at Sivuse Primary School before moving on to Hoërskool Vanderbijlpark, where she was completing matric.
The government’s tribute captures her essence movingly, describing her as “a bold and confident young girl—bubbly in spirit, full of life, and unafraid to stand up for herself.”
“Thato dreamed of studying abroad and aspired to become a doctor, driven by a deep desire to make a difference in the lives of others,” the provincial government said.
Those who knew her say that dream was not idle ambition, but a reflection of her caring nature and quiet determination to rise above circumstance.
Her laughter, they say, filled classrooms and corridors, and her absence has left an unbearable silence.
Another young life lost, Bokamoso was only 13 years old when her journey to school became the final journey of her life.
Born on November 15, 2012, in Sebokeng, Bokamoso was the second-born child in her family.
She was raised by a loving mother and surrounded by siblings, grandparents and relatives who believed fiercely in her potential.
From Itsebeng Primary School to Arcon Park Primary, she distinguished herself not only academically but in spirit.
“In just two years at the school, she was awarded a Grade 7 Certificate of Progress, in recognition of her academic performance and her positive attitude towards learning.”
Teachers recall a learner who arrived eager, attentive and determined to do well, regardless of the obstacles in her path.
Only days into what should have been an exciting new chapter, Bokamoso had just begun her Grade 8 year at Hoërskool Vanderbijlpark.
The anticipation of high school, new friendships, new subjects, new dreams, was abruptly stolen when she passed away while on her way to school in Vanderbijlpark.
For her family, there was no time to adjust, no time to prepare, only the unbearable shock of a child who never came home.
Beyond her schoolbooks, Bokamoso was remembered for her warmth and light.
“Bokamoso will be fondly remembered for her optimistic spirit, bubbly personality, and her deep love for dance,” added the provincial government.
At home, music often filled the room as she danced freely, unaware that those moments would become precious memories clung to in grief.
She leaves behind her mother, Mmaki; her sister, Kamokgelo; her nephew, Boikarabelo; her grandmother, and her uncles.
“Though her life was short, her light shone brightly and will forever live on in our hearts.”
Together, they stand as a devastating reminder of all the children who lost their lives in the crash — young dreams extinguished on the way to school, their absence a permanent wound on their families, their communities and the conscience of the nation.
IOL News