The seven students who were killed in a bus accident in Limpopo on 8 May were remembered by their peers, family, teachers, alumni and the greater Wits community today, 13 May.
Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Wits University, Adam Habib, headed the ceremony; inviting a number of group leaders to pay their respects to the students.
“I think that for all of us the best way to honour and remember these young lions who perished on our roads is to take up the challenge of making road crashes history,” said Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande.
“I am especially calling on the students to use their energies to join us in the campaign to make road crashes history. Government is actively going to be organising young people in particular to be part of this effort of confronting this scourge,” he continued.
“As government we will do what we need to do, but government alone without the involvement of the entire country will not be able to confront this,” Nzimande briefly outlined the measures that government will take to prevent deaths on the road.
Nompendulo Mkatshwa, Wits SRC President delivered an emotional speech to the full house in attendance, as well as the overflow of attendees seated outside the Great Hall viewing the ceremony on monitors.
“There are only words that remind us to trust in the Lord and his plan, to be thankful that during the short time that our brothers and sisters had on this earth we were privileged enough to know them – lucky enough to be touched by their warmth and their light,” she said.
The Wits 7 will be remembered not only in the hearts of the community, but also by tribute message board that had been signed by their peers.
