Page Content
Survivors of the 1985 Westdene Dam bus disaster, families of the victims and several dignitaries gathered at the scene of the crash at the weekend to honour the memories of the 42 schoolchildren who died tragically when their school bus plunged into the dam.
The commemoration of the day was included on the City of Johannesburg’s June 16 programme as part of the city’s endeavour to promote social cohesion in South Africa.
The Executive Mayor Mpho Parks Tau said the gesture was in memory of those who lost their lives and to pay homage to their families as well as the survivors.
“Yes, we experienced 1976 but we also experienced 1985. The Westdene Dam bus accident shocked us all to the core. The accident took the lives of young people who had a bright future ahead of them. The June 16 commemoration gives us all an opportunity to reflect as a country on where we have come from and where we are going. Our past has been marred by separation. But we are building a future of inclusion – a future in which nobody will be inhibited by race, gender, creed or colour,” said Tau.
On 27 March 1985, a yellow double decker bus carrying learners from Hoerskool Vorentoe veered off the road, crashed through barriers and plunged into the dam. A total of 39 learners drowned and three died later in hospital. Thirty other learners swam to safety or were rescued from the top of the bus. On the day of the tragic accident, nearly 3 000 people, including distressed parents, rushed to the accident site and watched in anguish as medical personnel tried to resuscitate those pulled from the water.
Eurika du Plessis, one of the survivors, said the inclusion of the tragedy on the June 16 commemoration programme was greatly appreciated.
Earlier this year, struggle stalwart Ahmed Kathrada, who has given the freedom of the Johannesburg, spearheaded, through his Kathrada Foundation, the 28th anniversary of the Westdene Dam bus tragedy.
