Polokwane – MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Violet Mathye, stood with the Sathege and Mailula families in their yard along the R81. Two young lives, full of laughter and dreams, were taken over the weekend when a vehicle struck them down. No words can fill that kind of silence, but government came to sit with the pain.
She was joined by Polokwane Executive Mayor Cllr John Mpe, Kgoshi Malesela Dikgale, and leaders from traditional and government structures. We did not come with solutions for grief. We came with our presence, our tears, and condolences from the people of Limpopo. We came to say, “Your children mattered, your loss is our loss, and you do not mourn alone”.
Cllr. Mpe spoke through sorrow that was hard to hide. He urged all of community and government together to make sure these two children are laid to rest with the dignity they deserve. Kgoshi Dikgale thanked government for showing up in the family’s darkest hour, reminding them that leadership means being there when it hurts most.
MEC Mathye’s voice broke as she spoke to the families: “We are experiencing grief and are greatly saddened by a loss of young lives, an irreversible event that is going to stay in our memories forever. May the families find healing in God and the souls of our children rest in peace.”
“The Department of Transport and Community Safety holds young lives in the highest regard. This loss cuts deep because every child lost on our roads is a future stolen. A name that will never be called in a classroom again. A pair of shoes that will never be outgrown. As we mourn with the Sathege and Mailula families, we must also look at ourselves. Road safety begins with each of us. Slow down near villages and schools. Put your phone down. Stop when children are crossing. Drive like the child you hit is your own. Let these two angels be the last we lose this way. May their memory remind us to choose care over speed, and life over haste”, said MEC Mathye.