JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Three family members killed last Saturday when they were struck by two vehicles, including one carrying South Africa’s health minister Aaron Motsoaledi, have been named as Zimbabweans.
Paul Masunda, accompanied by his 14-year-old nephew, had just seen off his wife and infant son who had boarded a Zimbabwe-bound bus and was crossing the N1 motorway when a car driven by an off-duty police officer smashed into him near Bela Bela, Limpopo Province.
Beauty Shoperai, 37, with her one-year-old son Paul Masunda Jnr strapped to her back, was called back to the scene by their nephew who had witnessed the collision. As she attempted to cross the road, she was struck by Motsoaledi’s vehicle.
Beauty and her baby were killed instantly as the 14-year-old watched in horror.
South African police said Motsoaledi’s vehicle was at the time being driven by a member of the Protection Security Services.
“The minister’s close protector and the driver immediately stopped at the scene together with the minister and remained there until police and emergency medical services arrived,” police said.
“Statements were subsequently obtained from those present at the scene.”
Two separate cases of culpable homicide are under investigation.
Family spokesperson Rabson Masunda said the surviving teenager, who witnessed both collisions, was deeply traumatised.
“The child is very, very devastated. I wish we can get a social worker who can go and try to speak to the child because we don’t know what he is feeling. With his age, it’s not good,” he said.
Beauty’s brother Charles Shoperai described her as the light of the family.
“I’m not feeling well, I’m feeling bad because this is happening to my family,” he said at the accident scene.
