THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY
The Gauteng Department of Education has confirmed that the number of schoolchildren killed in a Vanderbijlpark crash has risen to 13. The incident occurred on Monday when a scholar transport vehicle carrying learners collided with a truck south of Johannesburg.
“A further learner has since succumbed to injuries, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to 13,” the department said in a statement.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.
“President Ramaphosa says it is particularly distressing that this incident has taken place on the day the South African Human Rights Commission published a report on scholar transport in the North West,” said Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for the Presidency.
“The president’s thoughts are with the families, teachers, classmates, and friends of the young victims. National and provincial authorities will provide families and schools with the necessary psychosocial support,” Magwenya added.
Ramaphosa emphasized the need for stricter oversight of scholar transport. “Our children are the nation’s most precious assets, and we must do all we can from observing the rules of the road to ensuring the quality of service providers appointed to transport scholars,” he said.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has released a damning report on the mismanagement of scholar transport in the North West, highlighting systemic failures that endanger learners’ lives. The investigation revealed widespread use of unroadworthy vehicles, chronic overloading, multiple-trip operations, and late arrivals that cause students to miss valuable school time. The report also flagged non-payment of service providers and inadequate provisions for learners with disabilities.
Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona said the private scholar transport sector bears responsibility for ensuring learner safety and the roadworthiness of vehicles. “The private school transport sector and the Department of Transport must ensure that all vehicles carrying children conform to the rules,” he said.
The National Association of School Governing Bodies (NSAGB) has also called on communities to respect road safety rules to prevent further tragedies.
NSAGB General Secretary Matakanye Matakanye stressed that children should never be allowed to board unroadworthy vehicles and that drivers’ backgrounds should be known. “If we don’t know that driver, we must not allow our children to get into that car. The time is now to prevent these tragedies. While authorities enforce regulations, communities must monitor, and departments must stop awarding tenders to people they do not know, for profit’s sake,” he said.
Investigations into the Vanderbijlpark crash are ongoing, and authorities continue to manage the aftermath of the tragedy.