By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Vanderbijlpark scholar transport crash death toll rises to 14 after two children succumb to injuries in hospital, SA Police Services (SAPS) confirmed.
The tragic accident occurred on Monday, January 19, when the scholar transport minibus taxi collided with a truck, claiming the lives of learners travelling to school.
Twelve learners died at the scene, while five others were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. One learner has since been discharged, while two later died from their injuries.
In an update Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said two pupils died in the early hours of Thursday.
Masondo said the 22-year-old driver of the scholar transport is now facing 14 counts of culpable homicide, as well as charges of reckless and negligent driving.
The suspect, Ayanda Dludla appeared before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate Court on Thursday and his case has been postponed to 5 March 2026 for further investigation.
Meanwhile Transport Minister Barbara Creecy says authorities have impounded more than 60 scholar vehicles carrying more children than they were allowed to, including illegal transport vehicles and those without public driving permits (PDPs).
Creecy along with law enforcement officers are conducting inspection of scholar transport in Lenasia.
“We are having a blitz on the roadworthiness of scholar transport vehicles. Whether those vehicles are permitted to carry passengers, and whether the drivers have the PDP public driver’s permits required if they are carrying passengers.
“What you will see is that some of these vehicles have been in the past permitted as scholar transport vehicles, but they’re not in a roadworthy condition,” Creecy said.
Creecy said there is a provision in the [Transport] Act, Section 42[2] that requires drivers who are transporting students to have advanced driver training.
“I’m going to introduce that regulation, because I think it’s terribly important that drivers understand how to drive responsibly and also how to drive defensively when they are carrying people’s precious children.”
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) reiterated that Departments of Education, Community Safety and Transport Management must urgently strengthen vehicle inspections, enforce compliance and ensure continuous monitoring of operators.
It also called for policies to be reviewed to properly include children with disabilities, improve driver vetting, establish clear emergency protocols and regulate private transport providers, while ensuring departments fully understand national policy and their respective roles.