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 'My sunshine child is gone forever'
    Hanti Otto
    January 08 2008 at 04:27AM
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The Zwartkop High School in Centurion will begin its academic year on Wednesday without its headgirl for 2008.

Tessa Strydom and Hanno Hardijzer, another Zwartkop pupil, were killed in a car accident early on Monday morning.

The accident happened close to Tessa's home; her parents heard the car rolling.

Wynand Dafel, Hanno's cousin, also died in the crash.

Tessa and Hanno, both 17, had been dating since Grade 9, according to Hanno's mother, Sonja.

She said Hanno always referred to Tessa as "the girl he was going to marry".

She described him as "a loveable guy with many friends."

Wynand Dafel, 20, and his family lived in Canada. He and his girlfriend came for a visit to South Africa and would have returned to Canada on Monday.
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Tessa and Hanno attended a farewell braai for Dafel in Rooihuiskraal on Sunday. After the braai, Dafel drove Tessa home. Sonja said Hanno had sent her an SMS, saying they would take Tessa home and he would sleep over at "Wynie's".

Dafel apparently lost control of the car on the Old Johannesburg Road in Clubview.

Witnesses said the accident happened near a garage, about 1km from Tessa's home.

They counted 17 marks were the car skidded and rolled, crashing over tree stumps and coming to a halt a few metres away from Tessa's home. The three young people were thrown from the car.

Tessa's mother, Susan, said she had called her daughter earlier that night, asking whether they should fetch her from the braai. Tessa had said her friends would drive her home. Her father, Johan, said that at about 1am he and Susan heard a loud noise in their street, which runs parallel to the Old Johannesburg Road.

"I went outside, meeting a neighbour who had also heard the noise.

"We found a car lying on its roof on the island between the two roads.

"There was no one inside," he said.

Susan tried to call Tessa again, but couldn't reach her.

Johan said: "I realised the children must be lying around here somewhere. I didn't want to see it, so I turned back.

"Just then other people arrived."

Paramedics on the scene did not want the parents to see the bodies of their children.

Susan called Hanno's brother, Marco, to tell him about the accident.

He and Sonja went to the scene, where they saw Dafel's uncle running to a huge tree stump. Marco followed. Sonja said: "Someone stopped me, saying I shouldn't look, it was ugly."

On Monday, Susan was supported by friends and staff of the school.

Her "laatlammetjie (last-born child) loved the Lord very much", she said.

"Tessa told me she knew something big was going to happen this year to bond the pupils.

"She wanted to eradicate this groupie thing and make them realise that no one was better than the others."

She described Tessa as a "sunshine child" who was loved by all. She was treasurer of the Junior City Council of Pretoria.

No funeral arrangements have been made yet, as Tessa's brother, who works on a ship, asked them to wait for him to get home.

Marco and his girlfriend, Yvette Venter, made a cross on Monday, painting on it the names "Hanno, Tessa, Wynand".

They planned to put it up at the scene of the accident.

"He lived life to the full," Marco said.

Trevor Kolk of LifeMed Ambulance Services said the three were declared dead on the scene.

The car was so badly damaged that they could not determine what make it was.



    • This article was originally published on page 1 of Pretoria News on January 08, 2008
Showing page 1 of 6 comment pages, 52 total comments
59 Weeks ago Tanya: to my First Love wrote :
There isn't ONE day that goes by that I do not think of You HANNO And it has been 8 months now..!!!! I constantly dream about you and I wish I had the time to tell you what I long to tell you my whole life and now it is tooooo late!! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF FOR THAT I would Give Anything to see your face once more, look into your eyes and see you looking back and hearing your voice again, just for one day I Will give anything for that I LOVE YOU SO SO SO
84 Weeks ago OLD ZWARRIE wrote :
To Tes. May your soul rest in peace Angel. You are in the arm of or DAD. You are sadly missed by all, but you will for ever stay alive in our hearts. WITH LOVE... OLD ZWARRIE
95 Weeks ago M wrote :
I didn't know Tessa very well but I saw her everyday at school . I would've liked to know her but I didn't get the chance to do so. The school feels emptier everyday without her. I liked her even though I didn't know her. She was a good person and ment much to the school. I hope her parents gets through this time of tragedy. Tessa you will be missed
96 Weeks ago Chandre Keyser wrote :
Tessa will always be remembered by everyone, she made an impression on my life (and everyone surrounding her), one i'll never forget. Tessa's death made me realize how "much" you can actually live in one lifetime. She's a rolemodel to me. I can honestly say that Zwartkop lost their Lady Di. My deepest simpathy to everyone who knew Tessa, and esspesially her family. We suffered a great loss...
97 Weeks ago T wrote :
As a highschool friend of Wynands, my prayers go out to his family, and closer friends. Its horrible that anyone who is giving the opinion of what they should have done, didnt do, seatbelt warnings, this isnt a time to be displaying your insensitive judgements on what you have no idea what happened to them. Wynand, your smile will be missed. You had a beautiful one.
97 Weeks ago Larry & Kortney wrote :
I would like to send our deepest thought's to all of you in this time of loss. I am from Canada and I got to know Wynand very well as he and his brother worked down the road from me. We were all very sadened when we heard the news,Wynand was a great guy and will be greatly missed by us all. Rest in peace!!
97 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
My heart and thoughts go out to the families and friends of the three children tragically killed in this accident. Three young lives with the world at their feet - we can only be grateful for the time they spent with us. To the family and friends, allow yourselves time to grieve, and tequally so, acknowledge all the emotions that you feel. Time will heal - until we all meet again, may God give you strength
97 Weeks ago Kelsey wrote :
I am praying for all of the families who lost their children in this accident. No one needs to go through this. Wynand will be greatly missed.. I wish your family a safe trip home. To all of you who mentioning what you think of drinking and driving.. no seat belts/speeding.. keep it to yourself no one needs to hear that right now. The familied need condolences.. knowing that people are there for them if they need anything. Have some respect for the three young lives that have been taken. Rest in Peace.. all three of you.
97 Weeks ago Anonymous wrote :
reading this it is so tragic i only imagine how the parents must be feeling may god give you strengh
97 Weeks ago Greg C wrote :
Each there own opinion. That is a right. My true condolences to the affected families and friends. May we not judge others. It's not our right. However, there can come no harm from sharing facts (I repeat - facts, not speculation) when these are available. In this case there are none, so let us sweep in front of our own doors first. I would like to add. I have a 20 year old daughter with a boyfriend who is Mr Macho and believes in his foot being way down on the accelerator. I spoke with him on Sunday and warned him that while my daughter was in his car he would drive like someone who knew how, because if ever something were to happen to her because of his showing off, he'd wish he were killed in the accident. I remind him constantly. This is my daughter whom I have raised and there is enough crime over which we have little control that can tear families apart. That which is avoidable should be avoided. This is not a reference to the current accident. To the families, there is nothing that can heal the pain except time, and you are in my thoughts. My elder daughter had a very good friend who died similarly two years ago, so I saw what the family went through then. May you find peace. Greg.
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