In a show of solidarity, the parents of the ten learners who lost their lives in Blackheath, Cape Town when their school bus was hit by a train at a road-level crossing on August 25, 2010 travelled to Rheenendal to commiserate with the families of the Rheenendal 15.
The weekend's proceedings started with the parents and family members visiting the graves of their loved ones for a short prayer service before doing maintenance on the graves. Thereafter the mourners moved on to the accident scene where a formal, candlelit wreath-laying ceremony was held. The day's activities were concluded with a remembrance service at the Rheenendal Community Centre.
The following day (Saturday, August 25), was spent celebrating the lives of the deceased bus driver and the children from both Rheenendal and Blackheath who lost their lives in similar accidents one year apart.
The cause of the Rheenendal tragedy has not yet been established, but it is speculated that when the overloaded 32-seater bus stalled at the top of an incline on the Rheenendal Road, the driver was unable to stop the bus from running backwards and toppling into Kasat-se-Drift, trapping some of the learners under the water.
Neil Sharrocks, a passerby who was later commended for bravery by President Jacob Zuma, jumped into the river and pulled learners through an open side window, but he was unable to save 14 of the 58 trapped Rheenendal Primary School learners. The bus driver also perished in this accident.
Pauline Fiegeland wipes away her tears at Friday's wreath-laying ceremony as she remembers the deaths of her three children Felicity (10), Maurisha (15) and Andre (12).
The Mossel Bay Community Band travelled to Rheenendal to perform during the wreath-laying ceremony.
