Calling all truckers! If you’re looking for a great day of entertainment in Gauteng over the next long weekend, FleetWatch urges you to head south with your family and friends on May 2nd to the Diversity High School on the corner of Outspan and Coal Brook in South Hills for a day of fun at South Africa Trucking’s first ever Country Music Festival.
Organised by truck driver Jan Bester and his fiancé Iris Smith, the event is being held to raise funds to help poor children in need. Jan, who has been a truck driver for the past 17 years, epitomises the real heart of the trucking industry. “I’m a trucker to the bone but I have a soft spot for kids in need and just can’t bear to see them hungry or suffering in any way. It is thus we are raising funds to help these kids,” he tells FleetWatch.
Jan started a Facebook page a few months ago called South Africa Trucking so as to link hands with other drivers and communicate with each other while alone out on the road and away from home. It is this site he has used to promote his outreach activities as well as the music festival – and the response has been tremendous.
Iris, his fiancé, has vast experience in dealing with kids in need having first got into the ‘social work’ arena by running a home for HIV-positive kids under the Apostolic Faith Mission back in the days when HIV started becoming prevalent. She knows what it is like to see kids suffer and had the unpleasant task of having to bury some of the kid who died of AIDS. Since then, she has always reached out to help kids in whatever way she can and currently works closely with a women who feeds up to 600 kids a day.
The day has a huge line-up of popular singers. Check this out: On stage will be Andre Johnson, Logan Venter, Celest Groenewald, Chrissie Rossouw, Christiaan van Rooyen, Christi-Jay, Dixi, Eddie Bekker, Jan Porter, Mac Young, Louis Leander, Pieta Venter, Ronel Berrington, Zane B, and MC Engelbrecht. It’s going to be a real buzz.

Entrance fee is R80 for an adult and R30 for a child under-12 as well as for pensioners All Jan and Iris are asking is that you bring your own food and drink as well as either some perishable items of food, a blanket, clothes, toys or whatever you can donate for the kids. You might also want to bring your own picnic blanket to “kuier lekker’.
Tickets can be purchased by phoning Iris on 072-5287256 or you can get them at the gate. Gates open early with the first performer taking the stage at 8.30am. All proceeds will be used to bring comfort to needy kids and all is conducted under the banner of a registered non-profit organisation (NGO) with a BEE number so all is above board.
C’mon all. Let’s support this worthy cause. A big-hearted truck driver started it all. Let’s get behind him to drive it forward. And if you can’t make it on the day, any donations you can make for the kids will be much appreciated.