By 
The African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State has joined the education fraternity in the province in mourning the loss of three learners who lost their lives following a car accident last week Friday, 24 January 2025.
Young lives were cut short when the vehicle they were traveling in was involved in an accident on their way to school, aged between six and eight years, three of the learners who were siblings passed away, and one is still in hospital fighting for her life in ICU due to severe injuries.
The Provincial Secretary General of the ANC, Cde Polediso Motsoeneng says the tragedy could not have come at a worse time as the ANC led government is celebrating the well-deserved 91% matric pass rate. He says it is therefore a bittersweet moment for the Free State province to have to mourn the unfortunate deaths of the learners soon after the province once again became the best performing in the country.
“As a caring organisation, led by compassionate men and women, the African National Congress shares in the pain of the grief-stricken parents who have to endure the devastating pain of losing a child, and in the case of one family, losing two children.
The African National Congress will continue to raise road safety awareness and, through its deployees in government, ensure that the roads are safe for travel. We will also continue to call for harsh punishments for drivers whose disregard for road laws and recklessness, endanger lives of fellow road users,” said Polediso Motsoeneng.
“This accident was a numbing and sobering reminder of the work that still needs to be done to address road safety in our province. In moments like these, one often finds himself at a loss for words. One cannot even begin to imagine what the poor parents must be going through. On behalf of the African National Congress in the province, we extend our condolences and wish the affected families well during these trying times. We appeal to both motorists and pedestrians alike to observe the rules of the road in order to avoid unnecessary accidents,” he concluded.
