Here is John Webb’s grave

Forty-four years after falling to his death at Highveld Steel, John Webb’s history sparked some interest again.

With Mr Mervyn van Rooyen at the helm John’s old grave was found and photos sent to his family abroad.

Mervyn picks up on the interesting story, “A few weeks ago I received an interesting email from Washington DC in the USA. The sender had obtained my email address from Barry Mann, someone with whom I went to kindergarten and primary school here in Witbank in the 1950s. We still communicate now and then. Barry lives in Salt Lake City also in the USA and years ago he created a website on Witbank. Anyone interested in old photos of Witbank should have a look at it,” Mervyn said.

The gentleman who wrote to Mervyn is Peter Mol who was looking for the grave of his uncle John Webb who fell to his death at Highveld Steel in 1976, 44 years ago.

“Peter wondered if I would know anyone who had known John so long ago. My eyes widened in surprise when I read those words. Good heavens, no one in Witbank will remember him after all these years! Except me.”

Mervyn worked as an assistant engineer under John for several years and knew him well.

“In fact, I liked him very much. He was a gentleman and had a very calm disposition. He was a team worker and formed a successful cricket team in the Steel Plant made up of his fellow workers. This team was more than a match for the other divisions in Highveld,” Mervyn said.

In the tragic accident in the Steel Plant, he tripped and fell 30 metres off a crane gantry.

“I immediately replied to Peter and told him that I had known John well and was happy to try and find his grave for him. I also sent him photos of Highveld and the place where John died. He sent me photos of John with Peter when he was a little boy.”

Time to get to work.

Mervyn phoned the municipality to make inquiries. After about 10 no answer phone calls he gave up – no future in that course.

“What next? I know! I’ll speak to Clive Hatch who was a councillor for many years. He knows all the tricks. Clive said the department that looks after the cemeteries is the Parks Department.”

Clive went to the Parks Department and gave them John’s death date, and they gave him the grave number.

Mervyn then went to the Parks Department to confirm which day he would go to the cemetery and asked for someone there to help.

Athol agreed to allow one of his guards to accompany Mervyn and Clive to the cemetery.

The problem was that there were virtually no grave numbers.

“Do you know how many people died in Witbank in 1976? Lots I can tell you! We tried working back from the few grave numbers still existing but that just didn’t work. After about an hour Mervyn found John’s grave.

“We took some photos just to prove to Peter in Washington that we had found it. Later I sent Peter the co-ordinates just in case he would like to travel from Washington to visit the grave. He was delighted, to say the least,” Mervyn said.

Mission accomplished so to say. Mervyn could not have done it without the help of the municipal workers, Clive, Athol and Mr Israel Skhoshana.

“Thank you to each one who made this search possible,” Mervyn said.