A feeding scheme has been without its “werksperd” for nearly a year due to an accident for which they have not received any compensation.

Zita Petersen, who runs Skye’s Wooden Spoon with her family, said she is becoming increasingly frustrated and has still not received any recompense after an Alpine Group truck collided with the non-profit’s van 10 months ago.

“That was our werksperd,” Petersen said. “That van did everything.”

The non-profit runs a feeding scheme, day care and aftercare in Eastridge, Tafelsig and Vosho informal settlement. Last year, on November 14, a speeding truck collided with the NPO’s stationary van outside the feeding scheme’s container in Swartklip Road. The impact caused damage to three vehicles and two nearby shacks, Petersen said.

“The driver was speeding,” Petersen said. “It first hit a vehicle at the mechanic’s yard and then pushed into our yard and hit our van, pushing it into two shacks and the jeep next door.”

None of the children were at the feeding scheme at the time, which Petersen said was a huge relief.

“Fortunately that day the children weren’t there because usually at that time of the day they come up from the crèche and play in the piece of ground in front of the container,” Petersen said.

The organisation is run mostly out of pocket and on donations. Since the accident, Petersen has had to pay drivers and couriers to keep the NPO running and it is causing them financial strain.

“The driver gave us his boss’s number and he said he would sort it out. He said it was their driver’s fault and that he would submit a claim,” Petersen said.

Nothing came of the insurance claim. Petersen has contacted the insurance company and the owner of the truck multiple times but has not yet been compensated. Instead, her number has been blocked and she has been accused of harassment.

“The insurance company said we are harassing his client, but at the end of the day, their client is in the wrong.”

Driver was speeding

Pule Molubi, a third-party litigation claims specialist for Bryte, spoke on behalf of the insurers and said the claim was denied because the driver was speeding.

“There was an investigation which was thoroughly conducted, when it had determined that the cause of the accident was an excessive speed, and the road is a 60km/h zone, and the driver was way above the area speed limit,” the email stated.

Muhammed Moosa, Finance Director at The Alpine Group, confirmed that the claim was denied. He said the company had had to write off the truck and had also suffered losses.

Moosa said the company was willing to negotiate with Petersen regarding compensation but could not afford to pay for the full claim which he said came to about R45 000.

“We are a small business,” he said. “We can’t afford that out of pocket. The insurance is not covering us for it.”

Petersen said that Alpine had offered to negotiate with them but after the insurance claim was denied, she found they had blocked her number.

Moosa asked TygerBurger to email him additional questions before referring us to his attorneys.

Moosa’s attorney, Ismail Akoo, replied saying: “Our clients representative/s are taking the matter up with our clients insurer and we will revert as soon as we receive feedback.”