SANTACO KZN Pledges to Rebuild Imbali Crèche After Taxi Crash, a Fifth Learner Has Since Passed Away
- The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) visited the families of the learners killed in an accident in Imbali
- Five pupils have now been declared dead after a taxi lost control and crashed into the Senzokuhle Crèche in Pietermaritzburg
- The Department of Transport confirmed that a Grade 10 pupil, who was being treated for a severe brain injury, was the latest victim
- SANTACO KwaZulu-Natal Office Manager, Sifiso Shangase, confirmed that the council would rebuild the crèche and assist families
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Source: UGC
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
KWAZULU-NATAL – The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has pledged to rebuild the Senzokuhle Crèche in Imbali, Pietermaritzburg.
The crèche was partially destroyed after a taxi crashed into it on Thursday, 11 September 2025. Five children passed away, and several others were injured, as a result of the accident.
The children who died and were injured were from Zibukezulu High School, Mehlokazulu High School, Sukuma High School, Henryville Primary School, and Phambili Primary School. SANTACO KZN visited the families on 16 September 2025, pledging assistance for both the grieving families and the reconstruction of the crèche.
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Source: UGC
What will SANTACO be doing?
Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, SANTACO KZN Office Manager, Sifiso Shangase, confirmed that they had visited the homesteads of the learners killed in the crash.
“We made commitments in terms of burial services for each family. We also made a financial contribution to each family visited,” Shangase said.
He added that one family was planning to conduct their service in Bergville, and that SANTACO would cover transport fees for the community to travel to the place of the service. Shangase also confirmed that they would be rebuilding the creche.
“The families were comforted by seeing our leadership. We have committed to rebuilding the crèche, and as of 18 September, we started delivering the building material,” he explained.
Source: UGC
Death toll from crash increases
While three learners were declared dead at the scene, the death toll has increased since. A fourth learner passed away as a result of injuries sustained, and on 19 September 2025, a fifth learner succumbed to her injuries in hospital.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport revealed that Grade 10 pupil Nomalanga Ndawonde had passed away. She was being treated for a severe brain injury.
“We were nursing hope that she was going to survive and rejoin her grade 9 classmates at Zibukezulu High School. Sadly, she has left us. We are in touch with the Ndawonde family, and this morning we expressed our deepest condolences to the family,” the department’s spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, said.
19 children injured in taxi crash
Briefly News reported that 19 schoolchildren were injured when a minibus taxi crashed into a wall on 26 August 2025.
The accident happened on Pebble Drive in Savannah Park near Chatsworth, as the learners were being transported home.
South Africans were not happy with the fact that another taxi was involved in an accident on the country's roads.
Source: Briefly News
