A young lecturer from the University of Zululand (Ongoye) in northern KwaZulu-Natal has lost his life in a fiery car accident on Monday.
Dr Siphamandla Mthembu, who originally hailed from Manguzi near the SA-Mozambique border line, but was later based in Esikhawini township, was burnt when his car got involved in an accident and caught fire.
Mthembu was trapped in the car and was burnt beyond recognition. The accident happened around 10am on Monday.
According to an eyewitness account, the accident involved two vehicles near the Maholoholo off-ramp in Esikhawini.
Vehicle identified via number plates
One was an Isuzu bakkie, with four occupants, and the other was a Honda Elevate, driven by Mthembu. It is believed he was on his way to work at the University of Zululand. Although his car was badly burnt, his fiancée was able to identify it using its number plate, which was still readable.
“It looks like it was a head-on collision. And Mthembu’s car caught fire, and he could not escape it; hence, he was burnt to death. I would be lying if I could say I saw who exactly caused the accident,” the eyewitness told Sunday World.
Those who were driving the Isuzu bakkie are believed to be Mozambican nationals. They were coming from a nearby banana farm, and survived the accident. They were stabilised on the scene and taken to hospital.
Inquest into crash
Police in KwaZulu-Natal confirmed the accident and said Esikhawini SAPS is investigating a case of culpable homicide.
“Police in Esikhaleni are investigating a case of culpable homicide following an incident in which a… man succumbed to his injuries after his vehicle collided with a bakkie on P535 Road at Esikhawini on 27 October 2025. Four other people sustained multiple injuries and they were conveyed to a nearby hospital for medical attention,” police said.
The university had not commented at the time of compiling this report.
