Parents face grim task after 13 pupils killed in Vanderbijlpark crash
Devastated parents and family members at the scene of Monday’s scholar transport crash in Vanderbijlpark, where 13 pupils were killed.
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
A private scholar transport collided with a side tipper super link truck at around 7am on Monday, January 19, on the Golden Highway when attempting to overtake several vehicles. At least 13 learners were killed in the accident.
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
Parents in Gauteng are facing the harrowing task of identifying their children after a deadly scholar transport crash in Vanderbijlpark claimed the lives of 13 pupils on Monday, January 19.
Scenes of grief and disbelief played out at the scene as emergency workers combed through the wreckage and grieving families arrived, desperately searching for their children. Police have confirmed that a case of culpable homicide has been opened as investigations into the cause of the crash continue.
According to authorities, the driver of the scholar transport allegedly attempted to overtake several vehicles before colliding head-on with an oncoming truck.
Gauteng Traffic Police spokesperson Sello Maremane said the driver misjudged the manoeuvre.
“He attempted to overtake and did not see that a truck was coming. When he tried to move back into the left lane, he crashed,” Maremane said.
The Vanderbijlpark crash has once again brought the issue of scholar transport safety into sharp focus, with growing calls for stricter regulation and oversight of the industry.
Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said driver behaviour remained a major concern.
“What we’ve found in our interaction with the Department of Transport is that it is less about the roadworthiness of the vehicles and mostly about driver error. I think it is so important that people who are transporting our children understand that they must do so diligently,” Gwarube said.
Gauteng Education Transport Services representative Pilane Ramarutsi said a comprehensive registration and assessment system was urgently needed.
“We need to get to a point where we register every single vehicle, where it goes through some sort of assessment or approval, so that we know the people taking our kids and the vehicles transporting them meet the minimum standards we expect,” Ramarutsi said.
Santaco Gauteng president Midday Mali echoed the call for tighter regulation and improved compliance.
“The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport needs to make sure that it properly regulates the industry. We are currently sitting with a backlog of people who need operating licences. We are now encouraging all Gauteng operators to comply with the rules,” Mali said.
As the investigation continues, families remain at the centre of the tragedy, confronting the devastating reality of identifying their children and beginning the process of mourning their loss.
The latest crash follows a similar tragedy in July 2024, when 11 learners and their driver were killed in a scholar transport accident in Fochville. In that case, a motorist was later released on bail after being charged with multiple counts of culpable homicide, underscoring ongoing concerns about road safety, accountability and the protection of children using scholar transport services.