“A Mother’s Worst Nightmare”: Child Among Seven Killed in Eastern Cape Horror Crash

A devastating collision on the N2 near Bhisho has left seven people deadincluding a young childand two others hospitalised, marking yet another tragic chapter on South Africa’s deadly roads.

The crash occurred on Wednesday afternoon near the Bulembu Airport outside Qonce (formerly King William’s Town). According to Eastern Cape Transport Department spokesperson Unathi Binqose, a Toyota Hilux bakkie carrying six occupants collided with the side of a Mercedes-Benz sedan before careening into a Nissan Navara.

The toll was catastrophic. All five occupants of the Hilux and both occupants of the Navara died at the scene. The three people in the Mercedes-Benz survived; two were transported to Grey Hospital with injuries.

A case of culpable homicide has been opened, and investigations are underway.

“Deeply Saddened”: MEC’s Plea to Road Users

Eastern Cape Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha expressed profound grief over the loss of life, particularly the death of a minor. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” he said.

His message was also a stark warning. “This devastating incident is yet another reminder to all road users to exercise maximum caution, patience, and responsible behaviour at all times.”

A Grim 24 Hours on SA Roads

The tragedy came just one day after 16 schoolchildren were injured in a separate collision in KwaZulu-Natal. A taxi transporting pupils home collided with a light motor vehicle at the R617 Mphophomeni intersection. The youngest victim was just three years old. Midlands EMS confirmed the children sustained injuries ranging from minor to moderate.

The Bigger Picture

While the exact cause of Wednesday’s crash remains under investigation, the incident underscores a relentless pattern of road fatalities in the Eastern Capea province where long distances, heavy vehicles, and risky overtaking often prove a deadly combination.

For the families in Bhisho, the statistics mean nothing. What remains is grief, unanswered questions, and a community left to mourn a child and six others whose lives were extinguished in a split second on a Wednesday afternoon. As the festive season fades and 2026 continues its course, the province is again counting its dead, pleading for the same thing it pleads for every year: for drivers to slow down, to think, and to arrive alive.

{Source: Citizen}

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