A horrific taxi accident in Tarkastad, Eastern Cape, has left a Philippi family devastated after claiming the lives of eight of its members on 17 November. The accident, involving a taxi and a cow, wiped out a significant portion of a single family, leaving behind a community reeling from the loss.
The family, returning from a funeral in Butterworth, were travelling back to Philippi when tragedy struck. They had attended the funeral of a family member's son (aged 30), who had been stabbed to death, and his mother, who succumbed to shock two days later. This double tragedy was compounded by the devastating accident that followed.
Among the eight victims were Sive Nogoxo, Simphiwe Fokwana, Nolihle Nogoxo, and baby Isemihle Nogoxo. The accident left the surviving family members struggling to cope with the scale of their loss. Nomfundo Nogoxo (56), a family member, described the shock and fear that now grips the family.
"All these people were coming from that funeral. We're shocked because we must go to the Eastern Cape again. We're scared to travel after the accident, but we have no choice," she explained.
Nomfundo revealed that she had almost joined the ill-fated trip but cancelled at the last minute, a decision she now views as potentially life-saving.
The family only learned of the devastating accident through a relative in Gauteng. Repeated attempts to contact their loved ones had gone unanswered, initially attributed to poor network coverage by one family member, Namhla Nogoxo (33). It was only later that the horrific truth emerged. Namhla, reflecting on the aftermath, appealed for support from the South African public.
"It’s hard to be at home knowing our family members are gone. We need serious counseling and financial help for the funeral," she said.
The weight of their grief is palpable, compounded by the practical challenges of arranging multiple funerals.
The accident has prompted a response from Western Cape MEC of Transport and Community Safety, Xolile Nqatha, who offered his condolences to the grieving family. He also used the opportunity to urge farmers in the area to take responsibility for securing their livestock, highlighting the potential for such tragic incidents to occur again if precautions aren't taken. The MEC's statement underscores the need for preventative measures to avoid similar accidents in the future.
