Over $8900 raised for family of Zimbabwean father killed in Ireland car crash
More than $8,900 has been raised to support the family of Nkosana Sibanda, a father of five who was tragically killed in a car crash last week.
Sibanda, originally from Zimbabwe, died instantly when his car collided with a truck in Barnhill, near Castledermot, as he was returning home from his job as a carer on Monday morning.
Nkosana moved to Ireland in 2017 and had been living in Baltinglass since 2022 with his wife, Cingo, and their children: Maria (18), Priscilla (15), Michael (13), Malven (10), and two-year-old Miracle.
In the wake of the tragedy, Nkosana’s sister, Mthandazo Sibanda, created a GoFundMe page to help cover the costs of repatriating his remains to Zimbabwe, where his mother lives.
“My family is devastated by this loss. We are raising funds to assist in repatriating the body back to Zimbabwe for burial. We are appealing for any donation that can assist us to bury my brother,” she wrote on the fundraising page.
“Your generosity will allow us to give Nkosana Sibanda the dignified farewell he deserves, surrounded by the love of family and friends back home.”
Donations quickly poured in, with the goal set at $10,800 to cover flights and funeral expenses. Tributes also flooded the GoFundMe page, including a heartfelt message from a co-worker:
“Hope you get the best bed in heaven. It was a pleasure to work alongside you. You always had a great big smile every time I saw you.”
Local organizations, including Baltinglass Town AFC Soccer Club and Baltinglass GAA Club—where Nkosana’s son Michael plays—also contributed to the fund and offered their condolences.
Nkosana’s friend, Prince Belunda, remembered him as a “very humble man” who was deeply devoted to his family.
“Nkosana was a very good guy. He really loved his family and worked hard to provide for them,” Prince told The Kildare Nationalist.
A deeply religious man, Nkosana was also a preacher at The Zion Church in Clondalkin, where his family and friends held a 24-hour vigil for him over the weekend.
Local politician Cllr Veralouise Behan offered her condolences and highlighted the dangerous nature of the accident site.
“We’ve seen so many accidents at Barnhill; it’s a big, long, straight road, and periodically you’ll hear of an accident locally, but then you hear it’s Barnhill again,” she said. “The community is devastated, and our hearts go out to the relatives.”
Gardaí are investigating the fatal crash and have appealed to the public for dashcam footage and any information that could assist in their inquiries.
