Salvokop memorial: ‘My twins were born together and died together’

The Salvokop community wept together when they held a memorial service for the three children who were killed by an allegedly speeding car past week.

The four-year-olds, including a set of twins, were remembered on Thursday night in what was an emotional event for the parents and residents.

Elelwani Khomola had just been released from hospital to be at the memorial and the upcoming funeral. With an injured right leg, she was carried to her seat, where she put up her legs on a chair.

The mother cried inconsolably throughout the four-hour ceremony. She told TimesLIVE how she ended up at the corner where the accident happened. 

She was there to buy cooked chicken feet for her twins, Munei and Muneiwa.

“I had left with them to go see their teacher and I planned to cook when we returned home. The twins said they want chicken feet. While we were walking we noticed at the corner women were selling chicken feet under a tree so we went there,” she said.

While their snack was being prepared, the driver of a BMW came down the road and lost control, running over pedestrians on the side of the road.

Khomola does not remember how the incident happened, but recalls seeing one twin on the ground.

“I was getting into the ambulance and I saw one twin on the ground and they had covered her body. I found out while in hospital that the other twin died too,” she said.

Munei and Muneiwa will be taken back to Venda on Friday to be laid to rest on Saturday.

Khomola said she wants to bury her children in one grave.

“When I bury them, I want them to be lowered into one grave and not next to each other. They were so close. My twins were born together and they have died together,” she said.

Despite having to be carried into the service because she is unable to walk after the crash, she said she is recovering.

“I am feeling better. I've just come from the hospital but I am OK,” she said.

Four-year-old Privilege Parenyi was the third child hit by the car. She was at the corner with her mother, who was selling chickens. The child will be extradited by the Zimbabwean consulate back to Zimbabwe on Friday.

Anna Sithole, 29, told TimesLIVE earlier this week she had warned her fellow hawkers about the car which had allegedly been speeding around Salvokop since the Friday before the accident.

On seeing the car that day, Sithole said she stood up with her baby in her arms, but was unaware Privilege was standing behind her.

“I was looking at that car. I moved a bit to the right and the car went past me and hit my child,” she said. 

Scores of residents, community leaders and local business owners gathered in the Seed of Abraham Church to give support to the families. Whimpering and sobbing was heard throughout the tent during a candlelit moment of silence and photo slide show.

Freedom Park representative Steve Mbelengwa said they have committed R20,000 to assist with burial costs. Funds were pledged to each family by the Seed of Abraham Church.

The man behind the killings of the children fled after the accident and has not yet been traced.

Ward councillor Fortune Mampuru told TimesLIVE the driver’s family had come to visit to take responsibility for what happened.

“They have also offered to assist however they can. It is encouraging to hear. They said they have no idea where the driver of the vehicle is.”

TimesLIVE

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