“People now look at the video and say, why didn’t they work faster? But they must understand, everyone was in shock and everyone was doing their best with what they had.
“Think about it, the school has 1,060 pupils. Managing the situation was not easy.
“One of the schoolgirls was walking ahead of a group of children when the walkway collapsed. She kept a cool head and immediately made sure, with the help of Grade 12 leaders, that the group behind her turned around before anyone could get hurt. There are many such stories.”
For Du Plessis, who matriculated in a neighbouring school, many of the faces of the parents were familiar.
“As you move between the people, you see faces you know. You hear parents screaming their children’s names and you wonder if their children are okay.
“As a crime reporter, I am accustomed to crime and accident scenes. But this scene really shocked me, but it also showed me the good in people.”