One of two brothers, who survived a horrific car crash on Sunday, is still fighting for his life in hospital.
Abdul Basier Johnson, 32, suffered severe head injuries and has been unconscious since Sunday night’s accident on Jakes Gerwel Drive near Surrey Estate.
Meanwhile his younger brother, Shaheen, 24, is conscious but still in the high care unit at Groote Schuur Hospital.
The Hanover Park brothers are among eight people who were injured during the four-car pile up.
It’s believed a drunk driver drove into their VW Polo, the impact, sending the car flying into the oncoming lane.
The Polo hit a Caravelle van carrying five people, which in turn hit a Toyota driving next to it.
Mom Nazeema Johnson, 52, has not left her sons’ side since Sunday night.
“I’m holding up for the sake of my sons,” she says.
“I have to because they have to come out of here. I don’t know what I would do without them,” she wept, hugging the unconscious Basier.
She said Basier responds when she squeezes his hand, and he moves his leg.
“But he doesn’t open his eyes yet. He doesn’t breathe on his own yet,” she adds.
The brothers were on their way to Heideveld to visit Basier’s children and ex-wife.
“They left just before 5pm and five minutes later someone called me and said Shaheen and his friend were in an accident,” the mom says.
“I found it strange because I know they left together. I tried calling Basier and his phone was on voicemail so I left.
“There I saw them both in the car, Shaheen was holding onto the door but Basier wasn’t moving.
“I thought he was dead,” she sobs.
Shaheen suffered injuries to his legs, arms and back.
“The driver of the Caravelle and the girls, who were in the car with him, are all still here in the hospital,” Nazeema says.
Meanwhile Tasneem Esau, 28, was lucky to escape with minor injuries.
“I was driving towards Mitchells Plain, on my way home from work, when I just saw this red thing [the Polo] flying through the air,” she says.
“It hit the microbus then the microbus drove into me and I hit the barrier. That saved me from going over the bridge and possibly landing on one of houses at the bottom.”
Police have made no arrests yet.