DARK clouds of smoke were billowing and bloodcurdling screams of fear echoed as a paramedic rushed in to rescue one of the countless injured children.

“I will never forget that day,” said Chris Botha as he recounts the horrific bombing by Andrew Zondo at the Sanlam Centre just two days before Christmas in December, 1985.

He was among the first responders after the bomb set off at around 10:50. The aftermath of the bomb plunged the mall into chaos, confusion and panic, with some shoppers fleeing, while others wandered aimlessly around in a daze.

Two women and three children aged two, eight and 16 were killed and the blast left more than 150 injured.

Also read: Amanzimtoti community recounts fatal bomb explosion

He said that he ran into the mall, regardless of the flames, hoping he would be able to save lives.

“There was blood running down my body as I was running out of the building with children injured by the blast,” said Chris. “I was an officer in the Amanzimtoti Fire Station. At the time, I was driving a fire engine past the entrance of the mall. It was backfiring terribly and I was taking it back to the station. I thought that people were going to think it was a bomb. I looked to the side and this cloud of smoke was coming towards me and I heard screaming,” said Chris.

A limpet mine, which is a naval mine that is manually attached to the hull of a ship, was placed by Andrew Zondo, an uMkhonto we Sizwe operative, in a refuse bin outside a gift store in the mall. The blast could be heard from as far as Entombeni Drive. At the time, crowds of shoppers were at the mall doing their late Christmas shopping.

Nineteen-year-old bomber, Zondo, was captured on December 29, by the South African security forces and was hanged on September 9, 1986.

Chapter closing as high school paramedic

Amanzimtoti paramedic legend, Chris Botha, 70, with nearly five decades of emergency services experience under his belt, is bidding farewell to his colleagues at Kingsway High School (KHS), where he worked since 2018. His final day on the job will be on December 10.

“There have been thousands of children that I have seen to and I’m very pleased that I could be a part of their lives in the smallest of ways. It was an honour to serve the school and these children,” said Chris.

His work in emergency services began with the fire department in 1976. Nearly 30 years ago, he decided, after noticing there were no private ambulance services in Amanzimtoti, to start his own service, before Netcare decided to buy them out. He worked with Netcare 911 as a paramedic for 20 years. He also competed in Canada in the World Paramedic Competition, where his team achieved a silver medal. After retiring, he was called upon by KHS, which thanks to Chris, became the first school to have a full-time registered paramedic on the premises.

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“It’s been quite a journey. I never imagined a school could have so many emergency cases, but here at KHS, I’ve handled everything from allergies to sporting injuries and even heart attacks. I’ve been working with this school since my children schooled here, so I’ve always had a deep connection,” said Chris.

His legacy at Kingsway High School

He will be passing the torch to the school’s first aiders, made up of learners from Grade 8 to 11, who he trained as part of his work at KHS. He said that he is extremely proud of his first aiders and wishes them well. In addition, of the school’s teachers and staff, there are 20 level 1 and five level 3 first aiders, ensuring that every department and building block has a first aider available.

“My whole life has revolved around helping people and serving the community. I thrive on very critical emergencies. It is important to stay calm, because you have to know who really needs treatment. I’ve done that for so many years. It has been a blessing to know the impact I’ve had on so many lives,” said Chris.

He overcame cancer twice

Chris has gone through more than most even outside of his work, as he fought cancer twice.

“Don’t start living when you get bad news or a shock diagnosis. Twice, doctors said I should not have survived, yet God has given me another chance to carry on and do work for Him. I have to be out there to help others. For future emergency services professionals, my advice is to know how to listen to people. To know how to help people is to know how to listen. Don’t overreact or panic, remain calm and take note of everything that’s going on. Never try and diagnose things. Treat the patient symptomatically,” advised Chris.

While his time at KHS is coming to a close, he still hopes to work in emergency services in some capacity. He lives at Poinsettia Park, where he currently works after hours and carries out call outs for the aged residents.

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