Alice - Nkonkobe Municipality Executive Mayor, Anele Nstangani, says there are no words to describe the feeling of loss among colleagues at the municipality following the crash on the N1 in the Western Cape which killed 20 people.
"There are no words to describe how I feel... We are destroyed here at the municipality," she said at a mass memorial service held at the Alice campus of Fort Hare University.
The 20 people were killed when a taxi collided with a truck. A minibus taxi's trailer hit a truck on the N1 between Leeu-Gamka and Prince Albert at around 1am. The minibus overturned after it was rammed from behind by another minibus.
"We are here today to try to comfort these families who have lost loved ones. They died like warriors as they were bread winners in their homes and were on their way to work, so today we honour them like warriors," said an emotional Nstangani to a packed hall.
Attending the service were Social Development MEC Xoliswa Tom, Transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu, the bereaved families, as well as members of the Alice community.
"We grieve with the families. May we all find some peace after this service," Nstangani added.
Taxi and bus association representative Mvuleni Siko said he had been shocked by the news of the accident.
"This taxi left here after lunch time. We normally follow these long distance vehicles before they leave to ensure that the vehicle is in a good condition. This time we didn't - and when I received the phone call to tell me what had happened and how many had died I was so shocked I dropped the phone," Siko said.
He said that he and a group of men from the community went to the scene of the accident in order to investigate the cause. When they arrived they were told that the bodies had already been taken to Prince Albert Hospital.
"We managed to get the families over to Oudtshoorn so they could see their loved ones and identify them," he said.
Representatives from the Road Accident Fund expressed their sadness and promised the families that they would incur the funeral costs of all of those that died.
Transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu said: "The road signs are there, speed limits are there and yet these accidents keep happening on our roads. As we launch the Arrive Alive campaign this festive season we need to ask ourselves what it is that we're not doing which needs to be done."
Marawu added that it was estimated that by the year 2015 there will be more people dying on the roads then from the HIV and Aids pandemic.
"Broken down, that means 40 people die on the road every day," Marawu said.
Marawu sighted overloading as one of the major reasons for accidents, along with un-roadworthy vehicles and drivers without licences undertaking long distance trips.
"Communities need to work together with government to put an end to these fatalities," she concluded.
Ntombozuko Shoco and Nolubabalo Mhlakaza were emotional when they spoke about the loss of their mother, Nonceba Shoco.
"Our mother was the only elder in our family because our father passed away as well. This is hurting so badly because she had huge plans for us and now we don't know where we will go. We miss her already," said Ntombozuko Shoco.
