JOHANNESBURG — The 2026 school year opened with unthinkable tragedy in Gauteng, as 12 young learners were confirmed dead following Monday’s horrific scholar transport accident near Vanderbijlpark. Three other children remain in intensive care, with one in a critically unstable condition.
What began as a routine morning commute for learners turned into a national heartbreak — and a renewed debate on the safety and regulation of private transport for learners.
The incident and the injured
On the morning of Monday, January 19, 2026, a private scholar transport minibus collided head-on with a truck while ferrying pupils to various schools in the Vaal area. The impact was severe, with several learners ejected from the vehicle.
Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed the death toll of 12 learners on Tuesday. The Gauteng Department of Health confirmed that three surviving learners are being treated in intensive care, with one described as “critically unstable.” The accident, occurring during the first week of school, has amplified profound concerns about learner safety.
The accident, occurring during the first week of school, has amplified profound concerns about learner safety.
Schools in mourning
The tragedy has shaken eight different institutions whose pupils were in the vehicle:
- El Shaddai Independent School – 4 learners
- Hoërskool Vanderbijlpark – 2 learners
- Vaal High – 1 learner
- Oakwood Primary – 1 learner
- Vaal Triangle – 1 learner
- Oliver Lodge Primary – 1 learner
- Noordhoek Primary – 1 learner
- 1 unidentified learner
Psycho-social support teams have been deployed to each school to assist grieving pupils and educators.
Reckless driver arrested
The 22-year-old driver of the minibus survived the crash with injuries. He was discharged from the hospital on Monday night and immediately arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Preliminary investigations and eyewitness accounts suggest gross negligence, indicating the driver was attempting to overtake multiple vehicles at high speed when the head-on collision occurred. The driver of the truck escaped unharmed.
In an earlier statement to the media, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane revealed a chilling fact: “The scholar transport driver involved in this fatal crash was reprimanded for reckless driving just last week. It is devastating that this warning went unheeded.”
During a media briefing on Tuesday, Premier Panyaza Lesufi revealed the arrested driver’s Public Driver’s Permit (PrDP) had expired in November 2025.
The driver now faces 12 counts of culpable homicide along with charges of reckless and negligent driving. “The owner of the vehicle must also be held accountable… Somebody must end up in jail for this,” Chiloane stated in an interview.
National response: ‘Our system must protect children’
President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking from flood-hit Mpumalanga, expressed his devastation over the loss of so many young people.
“I am devastated that, right at the beginning of the year, 12 children at one go have been lost… it is very sad and terrible.” This tragedy, he added, is a stark reminder that our scholar transport system must be beyond reproach in its commitment to child safety.” Drivers behaviour on the road must save lives, not end them.”
Social media backlash: ‘Filming the dying’
As condolences poured in, outrage erupted online over bystanders who filmed the crash scene.
One user on X wrkte: “A school transport gets involved in an accident… kids are lying all over the road — and the first thing people think of doing is taking videos and pictures to post on socials?”
The post sparked widespread condemnation and calls for empathy and restraint.
Systemic Neglect and the Call for Reform
Transport safety advocates argue that the tragedy exposes deep systemic failures — lax enforcement, unregulated private transporters, and insufficient checks on roadworthiness.
In 2023, former DA leader Mmusi Maimane outlined radical reforms needed for South Africa’s ailing schools — one of which included strict transport safety compliance.
Conclusion
As families prepare to bury their children, others keep vigil at hospital bedsides, the nation confronts hard truths about accountability and complacency.
The Gauteng government has promised a full and transparent investigation, but for now, 12 families face an emptiness no policy change can fill.
(NOWinSA — Stories Shaping South Africa Today)
