Remembering the Westdene bus crash
SOPHIATOWN — Remember the schoolchildren of the Westdene bus crash on June 16.
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the City of Joburg on 16 June commemorated the 1985 bus Westdene Bus crash in line with Youth Day.
The proceedings began with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Westdene Dam followed by a session at Christ the King Church in Sophiatown.
On 27 March 1985, a bus transporting school children plunged into the dam. Thirty children survived but tragically 42 died.
The incident was declared a national disaster by the government of the day.
Elize Venter, who survived the horrific accident, said that she was still dealing with the tragedy to this day.
“I thank God for my survival. We are still not over the tragedy. I was one of the first people to see that we are going to have an accident and yet today we are still getting over the tragedy.”
Venter posted a poem by H H Thiart on 28 March, titled Huldeblyk aan die Westdene Busramp.
This is an excerpt:
Die Westdene dam het sy slag geslaan
die bus het soos ‘n skip vergaan.
Saam met hom ‘n tergende geheim,
Hoekom?
Was dit nie ‘n spieël vir die wat wou kyk
Hoe jyself in hierdie spieël sou lyk?
