DITSHWANELO Press statement on the Matsha College students truck accident
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
It caused the death of seven (7) students and injured one hundred and twenty-six (126). The deceased and the injured students were aged between fifteen (15) and twenty-two (22). The students, beneficiaries of the Remote Area Development Programme (RADP), were on their way home after completing BGCSE examinations at Matsha College and BOCODOL in Kang.
According to initial investigations, a tyre burst may have caused the accident and the overturning of the truck. Further investigations need to be conducted in order to have a full understanding of the causes of this terrible road accident. Light must also be shed on the reasons why the students were transported in an open truck rather than in a bus.
It is not uncommon in this part of the world for parents to actually punish their children when they show signs of depression associating it with issues of indiscipline, and as a result, the poor child will be lashed or given some kind of punishment. We have had many suicide cases in the country and sadly some of the cases included children and young adults. We need to start looking into issues of mental health with the seriousness it...