Zim family mourning after fatal crash involving Motsoaledi convoy vehicle
· The South African
A Zimbabwean family is mourning after a devastating chain of road accidents near Bela-Bela claimed the lives of three relatives, including a mother and child who were struck by a vehicle linked to Aaron Motsoaledi’s security detail.
South African authorities said the tragedy unfolded on Saturday along the busy N1 highway when a Zimbabwean, Paul Masunda, was allegedly hit and killed by a vehicle driven by an off-duty member of the South African Police Service.
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Father killed while crossing highway
According to police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe, Masunda had reportedly escorted his wife Beauty Shoperai and children to a bus station before attempting to cross the highway.
The family’s 14-year-old child witnessed the fatal collision and immediately alerted the mother, who rushed back toward the scene carrying another young child strapped to her back.
Moments later, tragedy struck again.
Mother and child struck by Motsoaledi-linked vehicle
Police said another vehicle linked to Health Minister Motsoaledi then struck the mother and child.
Authorities confirmed that a member of the minister’s Protection Security Services unit was driving the vehicle at the time.
Both the woman and the young child died at the scene.
Teenager left traumatised
The horrific sequence of events has left relatives in Zimbabwe devastated, while the surviving teenager now faces the trauma of witnessing both parents and a sibling die within minutes.
Mathe said Motsoaledi, his close protection officer and the driver stopped immediately after the crash and remained at the scene until emergency responders and police arrived.
IPID probes Motsoaledi-linked crash
Authorities have since opened two separate culpable homicide investigations.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate has also taken over the matter because both drivers involved are members of SAPS.
The incident has sparked shock and sympathy on social media, with many Zimbabweans expressing heartbreak over the family’s loss and concern for the surviving child.
The tragedy also highlights the painful realities faced by many Zimbabwean families living and travelling across the border in South Africa, where a single moment can leave families torn apart and communities grieving across two countries.