Ayanda Dludla was the driver of the minibus that was involved an an accident and led to the death of 14 children.
The death toll from the Vanderbijlpark scholar transport crash has risen to 14, as the accused driver appeared in court on Thursday on a range of serious charges.
The learners were travelling in a scholar transport minibus that collided with a truck on Fred Droste Road, south of Johannesburg, shortly after 7am on Monday. Twelve learners died at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries in hospital in the early hours of Thursday.
The 22 year old accused, Ayanda Dludla, appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on 14 counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder, as well as charges of driving without a valid professional permit and operating an unlicensed vehicle. The matter was postponed to 5 March for further investigation.
Police confirmed that the driver was arrested after being discharged from hospital. The driver of the truck involved in the collision was not injured. His passenger sustained injuries and was receiving medical treatment.
The case has intensified scrutiny of scholar transport safety in Gauteng and raised fresh concerns about oversight and compliance in the sector.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) commended the authorities for charging the driver “in the hope that it will lead to truth-finding and consequence management”.
“The commission has also noted with concern that 9 children were injured after the driver of their scholar transport vehicle lost control and crashed into a tree near Sarnia Primary School in Pinetown, west of Durban,” it added in a statement.
“These tragedies underscore the systemic failures in the provision of scholar transport. Reliable and safe access to scholar transportation is indispensable to the realisation of the right to basic education.”
After persistent complaints, the commission has conducted hearings across various provinces regarding challenges with scholar transport and released reports in recent years.
The Monday crash coincided with the SAHRC releasing its final inquiry report on scholar transport in the North West province. It highlighted “pervasive safety risks and governance weaknesses that compromise learners’ rights to education, dignity, equality and safety”.