SHARPEVILLE – The family of 54-year-old Kautse Chaba is struggling to come to terms with his death after he lost his life in a gruesome accident.

The family says they were alerted by members of the community on November 10, that Chaba’s car had crashed into a tunnel full of water just outside Sharpeville.

“When we arrived at the scene, his lifeless body was still inside the vehicle. The car was filled with water.”

Chaba was popularly known around Vereeniging as he ran a vegetable business near Mark Park Shopping Centre. His business blossomed in the past 20 years. He was an employer to more than 18 people in and around Vereeniging.

Speaking to Ster North, his aunt Mookho Molauli said they were devastated by the incident. She said the family had lost its breadwinner.

“Kautse was a good person, always helping his family and community members. He was not talkative, his presence would be felt in the gestures he liked to perform for those around him.

“He impacted many people because he was now an employer to some, who depended on his business to make a living.”

The family said they would remember him as someone who loved helping people.

Kautse was always seen at the forefront, fighting for the rights of informal traders working in the Vereeniging CBD.

Police spokesperson Constable Busisiwe Sango confirmed that a culpable homicide case docket is under investigation.