Eveline de Klerk
SWAKOPMUND - What was supposed to be a girls trip and a happy reunion has shattered a Swakopmund family that lost two sisters with a promising future as well as a granddaughter on Friday in a horrific car accident. Stacey Tsuses, who recently turned 21, was invited by her father to Otjiwarongo to make up for the fact that she could not have a 21st birthday celebration.
He planned a low-key and intimate family celebration. An excited Tsuses invited her sister Recotha Tsuses (19) and her daughter Naledi Mootseng (2) on the trip.
The three left Swakopmund on Friday but sadly never reached Otjiwarongo. Their lives ended tragically in a car accident between Usakos and Swakopmund. According to the police, four vehicles were involved in an accident. Three were travelling from the direction of Karibib towards Usakos, following each other, while the fourth was travelling in the opposite direction.
A white Mazda sedan with four occupants, which was travelling from Karibib, suddenly stopped on the road, and a white Scania truck that was following the Mazda rammed into the right rear side, causing the Mazda to overturn. The sisters were travelling in a metallic gold Toyota Yaris, which was travelling from the Usakos direction.
The driver attempted to avoid a collision with the Scania truck by swerving off the road. The Yaris then bounced back onto the road but side swiped a white Mitsubishi bakkie that was travelling in the opposite direction and overturned, instantly killing Stacey and Recotha. ‘We are shattered…’
Their eldest sister, Queen Tsuses, who gave birth five days, ago said the family is shattered over the loss. Speaking to New Era yesterday, Queen said her mother Annalise Tsuses is not coping with the loss of her two beloved daughters and granddaughter. “My mother is a shadow of herself. The loss is too unbearable for her, as she not only lost her children but her breadwinner too. When I look at her, I just know that I have to be the strong one, although I am broken too by the sudden loss of my sisters,” Queen said yesterday.
She added that Stacey, who was employed at a guesthouse, took care of the family – while Recotha, who dreamt of becoming a doctor, was improving her grades through Namcol. “Stacey enjoyed working with people. She was full of life, friendly and loved life – and Recotha was a bookworm and mostly kept to herself. Naledi was the apple of our family, as she was the only grandchild. She added that the video shared yesterday does certainly not tarnish the image of her two sisters.
“They were young but also responsible and that video doesn’t take anything away from their character. They were just being young and happy,” she said. According to Stacey, the family will meet this week to discuss further arrangements to celebrate the lives of the sisters and grandchild, whose lives were tragically cut short by the horrific accident.
Caption (accident):