N1 crash: double tragedy for family after mom and daughter took bus instead of usual car

An eight-year-old girl and her mother, who lost their lives in a bus accident on the N1 highway on Monday evening, would usually have been in a car.

Shoni Sinyosi, 45, always drove to work from her home village in Limpopo, on the way dropping her children at their schools in Makhado (Louis Trichardt).

On that day, however, they took the bus home because Sinyosi's car was being serviced.

The bus was transporting passengers from Makhado to areas around Nzhelele, Siloam and Tshikombani when it collided head-on with a cash-in-transit van near the Louis Trichardt tunnel. Twenty people lost their lives and 68 were injured.

Sinyosi and her younger daughter died in the accident. The older sibling, 13, sustained minor injuries and has since been discharged from hospital.

Family spokesperson Joseph Sinyosi, the elder brother of Shoni’s husband, said the family was devastated.

“We are struggling to believe what has happened.”

Joseph described his sister-in-law as someone who was loved by her family and the community.

“She was a pillar of the whole family and always at the forefront in everything. We have lost an important person who was loved by the community, family and relatives,” he said.

Florence Radzilani, Limpopo MEC for transport and community services, is expected to visit the survivors of the crash admitted to various hospitals in the district.

Makhado local municipality spokesperson Peter Muthambi said the municipality was deeply saddened by the tragedy.

“The municipality will work very closely with the affected families to ensure their loved ones are laid to rest with dignity and respect. We urge motorists to be more cautious on the road, especially during this rainy season,” he said.