The tragedy occurred on Sunday June 19 2016, on the Natal and
Joly Street, Yeoville ,neigbourhood, Johannesburg, South Africa.
A store keeper who
sold airtime few minutes to the incredible Cameroonian film producer and sound
engineer, Djoyum Djoyou Bertrand
popularly known within press circles in Cameroon as Bertrand Santini explained on
June 21.His shop is in front of the accident scene with the area reportedly an
accident prone zone.
“He (Santini) just bought airtime from me and left the shop.
As he crossed the road, a car on top speed hit him.
He fell in front of my shop
and was not making any movement. We even believed he had died. The ambulance came minutes later and ferried
him to the Johannesburg Central hospital,” he said.
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| STORE KEEPER IN BLUE PULL OVER EXPLAINS |
Other witnesses are
reported to have caused the lady who hit Santini who was heading to church, to follow the ambulance to the hospital. She
is later identified simply as a Pastor at the Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church in Berea, a neighboohood which shares boundaries with Yeoville.
It is only on Monday June 20 that another eyewitness
contacted this reporter on facebook to announce Santini’s accident.
The Chairman of the African Diaspora Forum, (ADF) a Non-Profit
Organisation or NGO which defends the rights of migrants and encourages social
cohesion is contacted.
 |
| ACCIDENT ZONE |
Bertrand Santini was a voluntary worker at ADF since he
relocated from Cameroon just seven months ago. The Cameroonian community in
Johannesburg and Santini’s family in Cameroon is also informed.
 |
| INDICATING SPOT ON WHICH SANTINI LAY |
ADF Chairman Marc Gbaffou rushes to hospital and reported
that Santini was in a comma, his brain was not functioning and that the Doctors
were seeing very little chances of him surviving.
This information is confirmed same day at 10
PM by Seraphin Kegne one of the leaders
of the Cameroonian community in Johannesburg who doubles as the 1st Vice President
of the Cameroonian opposition party,
Social Democratic Front, SDF SA .
 |
| FROM HOSPITAL |
2:00 PM, Tuesday June 21 2016, Santini who has been under
life support for three days, dies at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Central Hospital.
EMERGENCY MEETING /
WAKE KEEP FIXED FOR JULY 1, 2016
An emergency meeting
took place between members of the Cameroonian Community, ADF
officials and Staff and Santini’s friends .
 |
| CRISIS MEETING |
It was decided that the night vigil
with corpse takes place on July 1 2016 at the Church Hall of St Francis
Catholic Church Yeoville (43 Cavendish Road).
The Cameroonian owned catering service;
LANSM Events Ltd opted to do the arrangement of the Hall as its own to support .
The
agreement was that time was needed to get some paper work done at the Cameroonian embassy for the repatriation
of the mortal remains and that there was need for funds to be generated for the
purpose.
 |
| L-R: MILTON TAKA, MARC GBAFFOU |
Santini’s corpse was finally
transported to the Phoenix Funeral Home in Yeoville. It was also agreed that
the Pastor at the origin of the accident be heard and for responsibilities to
be established.
ENTER PASTOR SOPHIA
AND CONTROVERSIES
After making several attempts at getting to Pastor Sophia through
the phone number she gave witnesses who followed the injured Santini to
hospital, ADF Chair Marc Gbaffou, the Communication officer of ADF,
Sir Johnson
Emeka and this reporter visited the Pastor’s Church at about 4:30 PM, June 22.
The Pastor’s real telephone number is made available.
 |
| AT FUNERAL HOME |
It is on phone on that Wednesday, (4 days after the
incident) that Marc Gbaffou informed her that Santini passed away. She promised to make herself available on Thursday
June 23 but never showed up.
There is the belief that if no witness trailed
her, Bertrand Santini would have simply passed on and maybe buried by local authorities
since the Pastor never visited hospital after accompanying him there!
 |
| SANTINI @ ADF/FRENCH EMBASSY EVENT |
On Friday June 24 two Pastors visited the ADF office on her
behalf. A meeting is held between another leader of the Cameroonian community, Milton
Taka, who doubles as the Chairman of SDF SA, Marc Gbaffou and ADF officials .
The
two Pastors quoted the Pastor (Sophia) as saying Santini was hit while he ran
on the streets. The Pastors added that someone had visited her home to threaten
her with a gun, without any precision as to who and when.
 |
| AT AN ADF SOCIAL COHESION EVENT |
A furious Milton Taka quipped that they need explanations
from the horses’ mouth and that everyone was
shocked by the declarations from the clergy men. He added that the ADF and Cameroonian
community are still worried and want to know what happened amid plans to
repatriate the mortal remains of Bertrand Santini to Cameroon. Many were not at all
comfortable with what the Pastors declared. An appointment to meet Pastor
Sophia has been scheduled for the days ahead.
Meanwhile this reporter was reached by a detective of the Yeoville
police station who requested that Santini’s family brings his post mortem
results for a case (docket) to be opened. This reporter was also informed that
the Pastor might have not reported herself to the police after the incident. The Metro police had however opened a case.
At the time of filing in this report, the ADF Chair and the
Cameroonian community are mobilizing towards a befitting funeral for Bertrand
Santini.
PS: Bertrand Santini relocated to South Africa in late
November 2015. As a professional producer and sound engineer, he joined the
African Diaspora Forum, ADF and did most of the ICT work. He created the ADF blog as well as the blog on which you are reading this story.
 |
| FEW MONTHS INTO SA |
Santini was able to carve a nitch for himself by
editing work for several
Johannesburg residents. He covered the entire Africa Diaspora Hope, an NGO
football tournament as well as the Cameroon Diaspora Black Friday Movement, CBFDM,
protest at the Cameroon Embassy in Pretoria.
Santini was the main producer of a
weekly French Program on the Voice of Wits University Radio Station, an ADF and
French Embassy project.
This reporter worked closely with Santini for almost 10 years, from Douala Cameroon to South
Africa, where he spent months with him on his arrival. He is an intelligent hardworking person who will do all to deliver. His death looks like a dream. Santini is married and
has five children. RIP brother, comrade and friend. Je ne t’oubliarais jamais combatant!
Que Dieu te garde. Tu ma vraiement touche Mola!
TRIBUTES TO SANTINI
Comrade Santini, the veteran Techno journalist from Cameroon
who had spent just 7 months here was very hopeful of life in SA & could
always be counted on every time we mobilized to fight for a better Cameroon.Brother,
RIP.
Milton Taka, SDF
Chair in SA, CBFDM Coordinator
May Almighty Lord receive his soul. A regrettable loss to our struggle. May the
Lord comfort his family.The bible says in 1 Thessalonian 5:18. Give thanks in all
circumstances for this is the will of Christ, Jesus. We give thanks to God
Almighty for the life of our brother Santini on earth, his commitments and
contribution to our struggle. He will never be forgotten. May his soul rest in
perfect peace.
Mbah Francis,
Johannesburg
This is so shocking to us all and its terrible. Comrade Bertrand
Santini rest in Peace.
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| SANTINI ENJOYING LAST MACDONALDS |
Lumumba Chia, Cape Town
Cde Santini was a true fighter who sacrificed day in day out
to get out messages for freedom in Cameroon out to the world. He was humble, dedicated,
and trusting. At this very sad, sad, sad moment let us give thanks to God for
Him alone knows why.
Roland Chebefuh, SDF SA SG
Santini died fighting
for our freedom. I will never forget his good humor and struggles for a better Cameroon
even with his most limited resources following his few months in SA . My total
respect to you Comrade Santini. It's too painful but we must be courageous and
carry on .Rest in Peace Brother.
Sir Abotoky Abotoky,
Free thinker, Johannesburg
Death is really cruel. We were joking on Thursday at Wits (Radio)
and I was supposed to meet with him this week. Oh my photography and video man.
LANSM Events Company will miss you. RIP Bro until we meet again.
Comrade Mrs Nkamankeng, CEO LANSM Events
My condolences to all ADf members. If anyone remembers, on Friday last week after work in the office, Santini decided to stay back alone in the office, saying he was finishing some work. May you rest in peace brother. All your close friends are inconsolable.
Dali, ADF Staff
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