A week of horror on South Africa’s roads has thrown the safety of scholar transport into sharp focus, with deadly crashes, overloaded vehicles, impoundments and a young driver facing 14 murder charges.
Within days, 14 learners were killed, more than 100 pupils injured, 60 vehicles impounded, three scholar transport operators arrested, and hundreds of illegal school transport vehicles ordered off the roads.
At the centre of the week’s tragedies is the Golden Highway crash in Vanderbijlpark on Monday, where 14 learners died when a truck collided head-on with a scholar transport minibus on the Vaal.
Golden Highway horror: young driver charged with 14 murders
The minibus taxi driver, 22-year-old Ayanda Dludla, appeared in the Vanderbijlpark magistrate’s court on Thursday. He is charged with:
- 14 counts of murder
- Three counts of attempted murder
- Reckless driving
The state alleges Dludla caused the crash, with videos emerging showing him trying to overtake several cars before the deadly collision.
Dludla abandoned his bail application yesterday and is due back in court in March. The case has intensified public anger over reckless driving and the conditions under which many children travel to and from school each day.
The Vaal accident has sparked a national conversation about:
- The safety of learners using scholar transport
- Vehicle roadworthiness
- Drivers’ behaviour on the roads
Limpopo bus crash: 109 pupils on board
As the country was still reeling from the Vaal tragedy, another serious crash unfolded in Limpopo yesterday.
A Toyota Hilux bakkie collided head-on with a bus carrying 109 pupils on the R510 near Amandelbult Mine. The 58-year-old bakkie driver died on the scene.
Limpopo transport department spokesperson Matome Taueatsoala said early information pointed to reckless overtaking.
“The report we got from our control is that the Toyota driver was overtaking cars in front of him,” said Taueatsoala. “He collided head-on with the Volkswagen bus which was carrying school children.”
Miraculously, the children sustained only minor injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
- 103 learners were transported to Thabazimbi provincial hospital
- Six learners were taken to Amandelbult hospital
“The possible cause of the accident is attributed to reckless driving,” the department said in a statement. “The department extends its condolences to the family of the deceased driver and wishes the injured learners a speedy recovery.”
Minibus bursts into flames in Vosloorus
In Gauteng, on the same morning as the Limpopo bus crash, another scare involving scholar transport unfolded – this time in Vosloorus Ext 7.
A minibus taking two children to school burst into flames on Inyetsane Street.
Ekurhuleni disaster and emergency management services spokesperson William Ntladi said firefighters received a call just after 6am about a vehicle on fire.
“On arrival, the flames had consumed the vehicle, and fortunately both children and the driver successfully escaped with no injuries.”
It is believed the fire started due to an electrical fault in the engine compartment.
Creecy’s blitz: overloaded vehicles and impoundments
While crashes were making headlines, authorities were also tightening the screws on illegal and unsafe scholar transport operations.
About 50km from the Vosloorus incident, transport minister Barbara Creecy led a major enforcement operation in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg.
The blitz resulted in:
- The arrest of three scholar transporters for “significant overloading”
- 60 vehicles impounded
“There have [also] been 60 vehicles impounded,” she said, adding that the operators will be told how they can get their vehicles released “and how they can legalise their operations and provide safe transport for our children”.
During the operation, authorities stopped a bus licensed to carry 60 learners – but it was found carrying 98 learners.
Limpopo’s overloaded ‘seven-seater’ with 27 learners
The crackdown was not limited to Gauteng.
In Polokwane, Limpopo transport department officials intercepted a seven-seater vehicle overloaded with 27 learners.
The driver allegedly abandoned the vehicle and ran away when stopped by officials.
The Limpopo transport department said it has clamped down on 91 scholar transport drivers since schools opened. These drivers had been contravening transport legislation.
Most of the vehicles impounded by the department:
- Did not have the legal permits required for scholar transport
- Failed roadworthiness and safety requirements
Ramaphosa demands safe and reliable scholar transport
Amid the chaos and carnage, the issue of scholar transport safety reached the highest office in the land.
Speaking at the Basic Education Sector Lekgotla in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, on Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa demanded action to ensure that scholar transport is safe and reliable.
His remarks underline a growing recognition that unsafe vehicles, unlicensed operators and reckless driving are putting thousands of learners at risk daily.
Mpumalanga pulls 336 illegal learner transport vehicles
In Mpumalanga, authorities have also moved aggressively.
Thulasizwe Thomo, the MEC for public works, roads and transport, told Sowetan that since traffic authorities began dedicated operations on Monday, 336 vehicles that were transporting learners illegally would no longer be allowed to operate in the province.
This sweeping move adds to a broader national push to clean up the scholar transport sector, as provinces respond to public outrage and shocking incidents on the roads.
A crisis laid bare
In just one week, South Africa has seen:
- 14 learners killed in a single crash in Vanderbijlpark
- A bus with 109 pupils involved in a fatal collision in Limpopo
- A school minibus bursting into flames in Vosloorus
- Massive overloading uncovered in Lenasia and Polokwane
- Dozens of vehicles impounded in multiple provinces
- Hundreds of illegal learner transport vehicles taken off the roads
The tragedies and enforcement actions have exposed how fragile and dangerous parts of the scholar transport system remain.
Reckless driving, unroadworthy vehicles, significant overloading and a lack of proper permits are not isolated problems – they are widespread patterns that put children’s lives at risk every school day.
With a young driver now facing 14 murder charges, families mourning their children, and hundreds of operators under scrutiny or out of business, the call from the president and provincial authorities is clear: scholar transport must be made safe, legal and reliable – and it must be done urgently.
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