THE only survivor of the horror crash that claimed 17 lives in Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng, has appealed to the government to educate the children of the victims.

Speaking from her hospital bed yesterday, the widowed mother of three, including a 20-year-old deaf son, praised God for saving her life.

Emily Mmamogoshi Mathebe, 38, of Rethabiseng township in Bronkhorstspruit, was returning home from work last Thursday afternoon when the head-on collision between the taxi she was travelling in and a truck occurred.

She works at the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate's Court.

Fifteen occupants of the taxi, including the driver, as well as the truck driver and a vendor selling mielies on the roadside were killed.

Mathebe said most of the taxi occupants were parents returning home from buying stationery for their children. "Books, brown paper and plastic book covers and other stationery were strewn all over the place."

Mathebe remembers vividly what happened before the crash.

"I was sitting with the driver on the front seat when the oncoming truck's right front tyre burst and its driver struggled to swerve it out of the road. It veered in the direction of the minibus we were travelling in.

"I was paralysed by shock. I remember seeing the truck coming towards us, hitting the driver's side and dragging the taxi with commuters screaming for help. The vehicles came to a standstill and suddenly all the screaming stopped.

"I cannot remember whether I had a seat belt on and if I left my seat, which was almost intact, on my own or I was carried by emergency services personnel."

She said cars stopped and people came running to assist.

"I was later taken into an ambulance with an injured male passenger but before it could drive off to hospital, the man was certified dead and taken away."

After being stabilised, she was transferred to Mamelodi Hospital.

Mathebe sustained facial, chest, hip, back, left arm and leg injuries.

"I am happy to be alive. I will continue to pray and praise God throughout as long as I still live.

"My heart goes out to the families of the victims and I wish government could support them and the orphaned children throughout their schooling and ensure that they get better education," she said.

Captain Sarah Mcira confirmed that the truck driver, Godfrey Ntwaleng Netshandama, 52, from Alexandra in Johannesburg, died at Steve Biko Academic Hospital several hours after the accident.

A joint funeral service for the victims will be held at Rethabiseng on Sunday morning.

Two sisters, Xolisile and Zakhele Ntuli, visiting Bronkhorstspruit will be buried in KwaZulu-Natal, Emma Mnyandeni in Eastern Cape, and the taxi driver, Johannes Cimane, will be buried in Delmas.

Kate Nomvula Sindane, of Refilwe in Cullinan, was buried last Sunday . - mckeed@sowetan.co.za