Taken long before her time

What was supposed to be a fun trip with her mother and sister, turned into tragedy when Edwina Mokwena (7) died after being hit by an emergency response vehicle in the city last Friday.

According to Edwina’s uncle, Dr Jim Mokwena, the family took a vehicle to be serviced at a dealership in Hans van Rensburg Street. He said while they were waiting, Edwina said she was hungry and that she wanted some potato chips from the fish shop across the street. Her mother went to buy the snack and left Edwina in the care of a family member.

Mokwena told Review that Edwina’s mother only realised that something was wrong when she came out of the fish shop. She saw a group of people standing in the street and found out her little girl had been hit by a car.

Review was also on the scene. “We tried to assist the little girl and help her mother, but the girl died a few minutes after the paramedics arrived on the scene. The mother was inconsolable when her daughter died,” said Joyce Mashebela, a bystander.

According to the police report, Edwina was struck by an emergency response vehicle. Polokwane police spokesperson, WO Lesiba Ramoshaba, said the report stated that a paramedic was driving the vehicle in Hans van Rensburg Street, travelling north to south, when a little girl walked into the street from between two parked cars and ran into the vehicle’s path. “A case of culpable homicide is being investigated,” Ramoshaba said.

Mokwena said Edwina was a fun-loving, playful little girl, who was always singing. He said she loved all the normal things that little girls like.

“She would just lay on her arms and start singing any song that came into her head. She loved fast food and her favourite snack was potato chips.

“She had just started school and was making friends quickly. She loved being in school. She was looking forward to the holidays, but could not wait to see her new friends again. There is no way to understand or explain why children die at such a young age and all we can do is to live out lives in her honour, making the best of every day.” he said.

Edwina will be buried in Marble Hall on Saturday.