The family of 33-year-old taxi driver Ntuthuko Makhaye is battling to come to terms with his sudden death after he was killed in a crash in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday morning — just minutes after his father saw him alive.
Makhaye, from Sweetwaters, died when the taxi he was driving with passengers veered off Mbubu Road, crashed into a wall and overturned.
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His father, Menzi Makhaye, said he had seen Ntuthuko moments before the accident while they were both on the road.
“We passed each other around 9am while he was on his way to town with passengers and he hooted at me,” said Menzi.
“I didn’t know that was going to be his goodbye.”
Menzi said he had just arrived home in Sweetwaters when he received a call informing him about the crash.
“A few minutes after I got home I received a call telling me there had been an accident.”
“I rushed to the scene in disbelief because I had just seen him alive,” he said.
When he arrived, passengers had already been removed from the taxi while Ntuthuko remained trapped inside the wreckage.
“He was still inside the taxi because he was trapped. After they managed to take him out, paramedics tried everything they could to help him, but unfortunately he had already passed away,” said Menzi.
He said the family had hoped the experienced driver would survive.
“I thought when I got there he would still be alive. I had that hope because he had been driving taxis for a long time and he always made sure he protected the vehicle,” he said.
Makhaye had recently taken a temporary driving job.
“He used to drive my taxi before I got a new driver. He then took a temporary job where he sadly lost his life,” said Menzi.
Taxi owner Sbonelo Mbanjwa described Makhaye as a trusted and responsible driver.
“I am lost for words. I trusted Ntuthuko so much. He was a good driver and also the mechanic for this vehicle,” said Mbanjwa.
We had a meeting just yesterday where I asked him about any challenges he was facing.
“He told me there was nothing major.”
According to Midlands EMS, emergency crews were dispatched to Mbubu Road where they found a taxi involved in a serious crash.
“One person was found entrapped in the vehicle in a critical condition and specialised rescue equipment had to be used to free the patient,” the service said in a statement.
“Once freed, the patient’s condition deteriorated rapidly and he was declared deceased on scene.”
Several passengers sustained injuries ranging from minor to critical and were treated on scene before being transported to various hospitals.
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Police spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala confirmed that a culpable homicide case has been opened for investigation.
“The taxi had 15 passengers travelling to town. The driver lost control of the vehicle, veered off the road and crashed into a wall fence before overturning,” said Gwala.
