Thursday, April 24, 2008

Light this candle

A nine-year old girl was killed after a hit-and-run incident on Jan Smuts Avenue in Johannesburg this morning.
The child, on her way to school, was waiting for a taxi when the accident occurred.
The only passenger in the minibus said she felt the taxi hit something just before the driver stopped. "He demanded I leave the taxi right then and gave me my R7.50 back. I didn't understand what was happening. It was only when I got off the taxi and he reversed and then drove off, that I saw," she said.
The passenger could not recall the license plate number of the taxi. The driver remains unidentified.
--

That's what the news story would read like, perhaps including other details like the eye-witnesses who were on the street at the time and the name of the passenger if she did not want to remain anonymous. There would even be a quote from the victims distraught father, her schoolteacher, the police, an outraged city official even. Her school would've been identified by the embroidery on her uniform. Her name would be on the schoolbooks in her bag.

I don't know if anyone has written the story about what happened to that nine-year-old schoolgirl this morning. My colleague was the passenger in the taxi. That's how I know.

And this is all I know.
And now you know.
Please remember her and her family in your prayers.

--update (April 25)-- The story was covered by The Times

11 comments:

irshaad said...

my father received a fax from a colleague the other day-it chilled me to the bone-it read:

'please excuse the delay with regards to the assignment. My son was shot dead in his taxi this morning.'

everyday life in sa is starting to take on an atmosphere of insanity...when will the madness end?

Anonymous said...

There was no news story (not that I know of). You voiced it - thats what counts. Big ups for SBM and her friend.

ZK said...

why didn't you tell me...
I would def follow it up!
can you message me any other details that you have mwah

Princess said...

What is this world coming too! Something needs to be done about crime...

Zahera said...

Thats really sad :-( worse still is the fact that absolutely nothing seems to have been done about it.

Prixie said...

sigh - what more can be said?

Muriel said...

This is so sad, crime is really getting out of hand!

Love your blog!

Anonymous said...

.. i met a girl i was in college with the other day, i asked her how her parents were doing and she said her dad is late, he was murdered. i didnt know what to say from there...

r said...

zoe what difference would it make?? We talk about it but does it change anything? Even if they track down the heartless bastard, he won't stay in prison. The child is still gone. The parents are still grieving. It never ends. It never gets better. Like saals says.. Just remember them in our duas.

Saaleha Idrees Bamjee said...

I've been thinking about the taxi driver. He did a terrible thing, but I can only imagine he acted out of fear. Stupid and senseless, but that's what fear does to you.
We have parents who've lost a child, and a man heavy with the knowledge that he took a life. All carry torment.

Bilal said...

its sad- there is lots wrong in SA and all over the world- we should all be working towards change, in any way possible, wherever we are..

Profane. Profound. What's your poison?