Unfathomable anguish will embrace the two families who suffered the loss of their loved ones in a devastating accident at the weekend, leaving an indelible mark for years to come.
This anguish was deepened thanks to the many pictures and videos uploaded to social media.
It is a terrible tragedy and the anguish stemming from the loss of so many loved ones will be profoundly heart-wrenching for the families.
On Sunday afternoon, while they were travelling from Knysna to Kwazakhele, little did they realise the devastation that awaited them on the N2 near Storms River.
A Mini Cooper and Toyota Rav4 collided head-on.
Sandile Sister, 38, Noyakhe Regina Heleni, 71, Thembela Heleni, 51, Zikhona Heleni, 27, Kungane Heleni, 3, and Azingce Heleni, 1, died in the fiery crash.
Sister and Zikhona had been in a relationship for about four years. Kungane and Azingce were their children.
In the other vehicle were two tourists — a man and a woman from Dubai — who were lucky to escape with their lives.
The remaining Kwazakhele family members are left shattered.
But it is not just their grief they have to learn to grapple with. Social media was flooded with images and videos of the crash.
A distraught Noxolo Pondoyi, Sister’s cousin, said she was disappointed by what she had seen on social media.
“People were posting videos of the crash, videos of the burning car, and videos of our nephew, whose tiny body was lying partly covered on the road.
“No-one bothered to check if he was alive, all they cared about was capturing the footage on their phones.
In our age of social media, the line between concern and curiosity has blurred.
It is disturbing that people prioritise the capture of g such moments instead of realising that those who perished had people who loved them.
While using social media is justified in cases such as the recent video depicting an alleged assault by deputy president Paul Mashatile’s VIP protection unit on motorists in Gauteng, there are instances where such action is unwarranted.
HeraldLIVE
Unfeeling social media ghouls should lay off
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Image: SUPPLIED
Unfathomable anguish will embrace the two families who suffered the loss of their loved ones in a devastating accident at the weekend, leaving an indelible mark for years to come.
This anguish was deepened thanks to the many pictures and videos uploaded to social media.
It is a terrible tragedy and the anguish stemming from the loss of so many loved ones will be profoundly heart-wrenching for the families.
On Sunday afternoon, while they were travelling from Knysna to Kwazakhele, little did they realise the devastation that awaited them on the N2 near Storms River.
A Mini Cooper and Toyota Rav4 collided head-on.
Sandile Sister, 38, Noyakhe Regina Heleni, 71, Thembela Heleni, 51, Zikhona Heleni, 27, Kungane Heleni, 3, and Azingce Heleni, 1, died in the fiery crash.
Sister and Zikhona had been in a relationship for about four years. Kungane and Azingce were their children.
In the other vehicle were two tourists — a man and a woman from Dubai — who were lucky to escape with their lives.
The remaining Kwazakhele family members are left shattered.
But it is not just their grief they have to learn to grapple with. Social media was flooded with images and videos of the crash.
A distraught Noxolo Pondoyi, Sister’s cousin, said she was disappointed by what she had seen on social media.
“People were posting videos of the crash, videos of the burning car, and videos of our nephew, whose tiny body was lying partly covered on the road.
“No-one bothered to check if he was alive, all they cared about was capturing the footage on their phones.
In our age of social media, the line between concern and curiosity has blurred.
It is disturbing that people prioritise the capture of g such moments instead of realising that those who perished had people who loved them.
While using social media is justified in cases such as the recent video depicting an alleged assault by deputy president Paul Mashatile’s VIP protection unit on motorists in Gauteng, there are instances where such action is unwarranted.
HeraldLIVE
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