When Evelyn Majatladi was 51 years old in 2017, she asked that her husband allow her to study nursing and he agreed.
She went to a nursing college in Rosebank and completed her studies. As Covid-19 started in SA and more nurses were required, she joined thousands of medical staff that were brought in to health facilities to help fight the pandemic.
But just two months after Evelyn, 57, was appointed permanently as a nurse at Tambo Memorial Hospital, she was tragically killed during the Boksburg gas truck explosion.
Her husband Noah Majatladi fought back the tears when he spoke about how he and their two daughters are still struggling to come to terms with their loss, and the challenges they face going into the future without her.
“It has been difficult for my two daughters since she passed on. She was so close to them. Every evening when we have to serve the meal, we can see that we are missing someone now. We never dished supper until she came home. We miss her.
“The way that her life was taken will haunt me for the rest of my life. The picture of her body will never leave my mind. I’m praying every day that I recover from what I saw,” Majatladi said.
He said from the day his wife started working as a permanent nurse, she was so happy.
“Every day she would remind us that at her age she had been able to get a new job. She loved nursing with all her heart. Since starting to work as a nurse, she was a happy person,” Majatladi said.
Evelyn had five children with the youngest of them being 14.
She is one of the 12 Tambo Memorial Hospital health workers who were remembered at a memorial service held at the Boksburg Civic Centre in Ekurhuleni on Tuesday.
Another worker who was remembered was Moshemane Billyboy Mahoa, 43, who worked as a driver at the hospital for 12 years. He was so dedicated to his job that he had only taken five days of leave since his employment at the hospital. His brother Mpho Mahoa described him as a man who was dedicated to his work.
“At some point we had a function at my place. Unfortunately during the course of the day he fell ill but he was supposed to go to work. He insisted that he wanted to go to work. I had to take a phone from him and speak to his supervisor to indicate that he would not make it to work. Billy also loved his kids,” said Mahoa.
Billy had three children aged 15, 9 and 8. His brother said it had been difficult for the family to accept the way he died.
“We are hurt and we are angry, not because he passed away, we know that everyone will die at some point, but the way he was taken away. It is very hurtful. It is not an easy thing to accept,” Mahoa said.
On December 24, a liquid petroleum tanker exploded after getting stuck under a railway bridge. The driver apparently took a wrong turn while trying to get onto the N17 highway.
Gauteng police arrested the driver shortly after the accident on charges of culpable homicide but released him days later, saying their investigation was still under way.
A total of 38 people died from the injuries they suffered in the explosion.
On Monday, Ekurhuleni mayor Tania Cambell said she has enough evidence to hold the owner and driver of the gas truck accountable despite them being cleared by the police and independent investigators.
dlaminip@sowetan.co.za
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