Maskandi Star Mkhathazi Clears Air On Link to 11 Dancers Killed in N2 Truck Crash
- Maskandi star Mkhathazi Nsibande spoke out after 11 dancers died in a head-on collision with a truck on the N2 in Mtubatuba
- The dancers had performed at the same Isibaya Ingoma Festival in eMpangeni before the fatal crash on their way back to eHluhluwe
- Mkhathazi acknowledged some victims had previously worked with him but drew a clear line over who they were on the day
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Maskandi musician Mkhathazi Nsibande has broken his silence following the deaths of 11 dancers who were involved in a head-on collision with a truck on the N2 highway near Mtubatuba. Speaking to TshisaLIVE, the star was careful to draw a distinction between himself and the group, despite having shared a stage with them hours before the tragedy.
The dancers had participated in the Isibaya Ingoma Festival at Emkhandlwini Sports Grounds in eMpangeni and were travelling back to eHluhluwe on Sunday when the crash occurred. Nine of the 11 victims were burnt beyond recognition, and their families are now waiting on DNA results to confirm the identities of their loved ones.
Who were the 11 dancers?
Mkhathazi confirmed that the group was no longer formally under his management at the time of the accident. "The dancers were no longer under me despite meeting them at the festival in eMpangeni," he said. He explained that the group was led by a man known as 2 Stabane Dlamini, who also perished in the crash. Dlamini had since established himself as the leader of an independent traditional dance group from eMdletsheni, separate from Mkhathazi's troupe.
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The group attended the festival specifically to compete in a traditional dance category before the Maskandi portion of the programme began. According to Mkhathazi, they would have made the trip to eMpangeni regardless of whether he had been booked to perform.
Mkhathazi's response to the tragedy
While the musician acknowledged that several of the victims had worked alongside him in the past, he was firm in pointing out that their professional ties had changed by the time of the festival. Their presence there was on their own terms, under their own leadership.
He did not distance himself emotionally from the loss, however. Mkhathazi confirmed that he and those close to him plan to visit the families of the deceased to pay their respects.
The tragedy has left communities in mourning, with families enduring an agonising wait for formal identification of their loved ones amid what has been described as the devastating extent of the damage caused by the collision.
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Source: Briefly News
