Biking crash claims the life of devoted mother

A breakfast run to the Waffle Hut in Winterton undertaken by Vryheid social motorcycling group ‘Harley and BMW Crazy’, took a tragic turn on Sunday morning.

One of the bikers, Bertus Meyer, travelling with his girlfriend, Yolandi Steenkamp, on a Kawasaki, lost control of the motorcycle around a sharp curb along the Winterton Road roughly 15km from Dundee. Bertus was admitted to MediClinic Newcastle in critical condition following the incident, and Yolandi had, sadly, passed away on impact.

Wracked with grief, Bertus, who is the deputy director of Protection Services at Ulundi Local Municipality, said that despite suffering a broken femur, fractured shoulder and crushed bones in his arm and wrist, his emotional pain far outweighed any physical pain.

“I loved her to bits,” he said from his hospital bed, on Monday night. “We were two broken souls that made each other whole.”

“She was the most beautiful, stylish, elegant and friendly lady in Vryheid. She poured love into everything that she did and helped a lot of people suffering from depression with her horse-riding classes. She was a devoted Christian who made me a better person, a fun-loving person, who lived for adventure, and a devoted mother, who never missed a game or a practice session that her boys participated in. She was always there,” Bertus added.

Bertus went on to relate Yolandi’s last act of loving kindness, “My daughter’s matric farewell took place on Thursday night and if it wasn’t for Yolandi, my daughter would not have been the princess that she was. My ex-wife lives in Gauteng and couldn’t be here, so Yolandi just jumped right in. She lovingly took over everything, from dress styles to hair, things I didn’t understand as a father, and my daughter appreciated it so much. To her family, I just want to say how sorry I am. To her two special boys, I just want them to know that I will always be there.”

YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ: 5 Critical car tyre maintenance tips

AND: R303, a deathtrap laying in wait

Yolandi has been a resident of Vryheid for more than 10 years and is well-known for her marketing company, Creative Creations, as well as her most recent business endeavour, offering horse-riding lessons and equine therapy.

Close friend, Natasha Olivier, described Yolandi as a person who was full of life and love. “What I will remember most about her is her love for her two boys, her love for animals, and the fact that she lived a life as full as she could. She was my inspiration. Her passion and her positivity challenged me on a personal and an emotional level. We all need to appreciate the people in our lives because we never know how long we have. Appreciate everyone around you and tell them how you feel before it’s too late.”

Yolandi’s father, Thinus Rautenbach, said that Yolandi was a person who was “full of life.”

“She is one of four daughters, and she was the one who was very lively, the one who lived for nature and had a love for animals and the outdoors. When they went on that ride on Sunday morning, that was part of her living her life. She was a light in my life. I will never forget the day she was named head girl at Veldenvlei Primary School in Richards Bay. It was an achievement that not every parent gets to enjoy, but she did it. It showed that she had what it took to be at the top. It was a proud moment for me. Her name is engraved on the wall at that school and will be there as long as the school is there. The community of Vryheid has really lost somebody special, somebody who went out of her way to start things to benefit the community she lived in,” said Mr Rautenbach.

Younger sister, Alicia Rautenbach, described Yolandi as an adventurous person who was always looking for something new to do and participate in. “She put in so much effort to make sure that family milestones, like birthdays, were memorable and special and she was always interested in helping others.”

At the time of print, a memorial service for Yolandi Steenkamp was being planned for Friday at the AFM Church on the corner of Emmett and Church Streets. Details will be confirmed online during the week.

The Vryheid Herald team offers its condolences to family and friends of Yolandi Steenkamp.