“I prayed to God to give the families of those who lost their lives the strength to cope with this whole situation.”

Those were the words said by Marno Kruger, one of the admins on a local traffic WhatsApp group.

Kruger did not know exactly where the accident, in which seven people died, occurred yesterday, and drove out to get the exact location to post the correct information on the community group.

“When I got to the scene, it was really tragic. It was chaos. The mere sight of the car wrecks told its own story, and I knew that this accident was fatal,” said Kruger.

He added that scenes like these remind him of how quickly life can change.

“My heart is broken. The thought of families dealing with this life-altering tragedy is overwhelming,” Kruger said.

Five members of one family died in the crash
The accident occurred on December 8 between eMalahleni and Ogies when a sedan and a light delivery vehicle (LDV) collided head-on.

According to initial reports, one of the vehicles apparently lost control, veered completely off the road, and crossed into the opposite lane before colliding with the vehicle in the oncoming lane.

According to a family member of the family that was travelling in the sedan, the crash took a mother, father, two of their children, and a cousin.
In the LDV were the driver and his passenger.

Families in mourning
A tragic end for the family that had hoped to spend the festive season together left those behind with broken hearts as they now have to mourn their loved ones.

Kruger said he is saddened by the thought that two families are now making funeral arrangements instead of finalising their Christmas festivities.

In addition, Moeti Mmusi from the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison (DCSSL) expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families, referring to the crash as one of the worst.

“We sympathise with the family and offer our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased,” said Mmusi.

“We remain on high alert as we are in the festive season already, and we just hope drivers will try to protect their lives also when on the road,” Mmusi added

Breaking news | 7 die in N12 crash earlier this morning
Read more here: https://t.co/z5AI7AElKH#witbanknews #witbank #N12crash pic.twitter.com/ka6qP8aRPX

— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) December 8, 2025

@witbanknews Seven people lost their lives in a car crash on the N12 between Ogies and eMalaheni earlier this morning. Photos supplied. #witbanknews #witbank #N12crash ♬ original sound – witbanknews

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