School mourns half its teachers

2008-07-22 19:03

Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane

Piet Retief - Mpumalanga's education department will mourn the death of half the teachers of a rural primary school.

Four of eight teachers at Berbice Primary School in Piet Retief were killed in a gruesome head-on collision between their car-pool vehicle and a truck last week on Thursday.

Provincial education spokesperson Jasper Zwane said on Tuesday: "It is a huge tragedy. The school only had eight teachers, and now half of them have been taken away.

"This was a small, close-knit group of people. The remaining four teachers and the school's 245 learners are so traumatised that they have all had to have counselling."

Two of the victims, Joyce Nombulelo Vilakazi and Sithabile Maureen Nkonde, were Piet Retief residents.

The third victim, Khazamula Maurice Vutsulu, came from Majosi village in Limpopo, while the fourth, Bonisiwe Gloria Sithole, came from Swaziland.

All four teachers will be buried this coming weekend, in private ceremonies in their hometowns.

"The children they taught, and their colleagues, want to commemorate them though. Education MEC Mathulare Coleman will join with the people of Piet Retief at a memorial service in the town hall on Wednesday," said Zwane.

Finally landed permanent job

Vutsulu's family said on Tuesday that the death was a major blow, after years of sacrifice and collective saving to ensure that he qualified as a teacher.

"We are all devastated. My elder brother worked hard to become a teacher and finally landed a permanent job, so things were looking up for him and the whole family. But, now he's gone. We can't believe it," said his younger brother, Billy.

He said Vutsulu was hired just three months ago, in April, after struggling to find a teaching post for years.

"He leaves his wife, a child, both parents, four brothers and a sister," he said.

Piet Retief's local Mkhondo municipality will host the memorial service at the town hall at 13:00.

- African Eye