It’s a pain that no parent should suffer, and what should have been an exciting day going back to school, resulted in heartbreak.
Thirteen learners were killed in a devastating collision on the Golden Highway on Monday, plunging the nation into mourning and reigniting urgent calls for stricter regulation of the private scholar transport sector.
We look into the tragedy, the casualties, and the developing fallout.
The incident occurred around 7am on Monday, during the morning school run. The collision involved a private scholar transport vehicle, believed to be a Toyota Quantum, and a side tipper super link truck.
Preliminary reports indicate the crash occurred while the scholar transport driver was attempting to overtake multiple vehicles on the Golden Highway.
Reports suggest the taxi driver tried to overtake between two and four vehicles at once, driving directly into the path of oncoming traffic.
The truck driver reportedly attempted to swerve to avoid the collision, but it was too late, resulting in a head-on impact.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi described the aftermath as an “unbearable scene”.
While initial reports from the scene confirmed 11 fatalities, the death toll has since risen to 14 learners.
Police confirmed that additional learners succumbed to their injuries after being rushed to the hospital. The victims were learners from various primary and secondary schools in the area.
Several other learners were critically injured and transported to hospitals for urgent medical care. The driver of the scholar transport survived the crash but was injured and hospitalised.
What makes this tragedy even more heartbreaking is that it could have been avoided. According to Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane, the driver had been reprimanded just last week for reckless driving behaviour.
This revelation has raised severe questions regarding the monitoring and enforcement mechanisms currently in place for learner transport providers. Authorities have reiterated that reckless driving and failure to comply with safety standards place children at extreme risk.
The tragedy has exposed a regulatory gap between government-subsidised scholar transport and private operators.
Premier Lesufi admitted that while general scholar transport is regulated, the private scholar transport system has “lots and lots of loose ends” and has been left unregulated for too long.
Lesufi has directed the Education and Transport MECs to immediately engage with the private sector to establish stricter regulations.
The crash coincided with the release of a report by the South African Human Rights Commission on scholar transport, which highlighted longstanding concerns regarding safety, oversight, and regulation in the sector.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has led the national mourning, describing the event as a “devastating loss” for the country. He stated, “Our children are the nation’s most precious assets,” and pledged that authorities would do everything possible to ensure the accountability of scholar transport operators. The President also promised psychosocial support for the affected families, schools, and communities.
The police have launched a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash. They have urged parents and schools to verify that vehicles transporting learners are roadworthy and operated by qualified, responsible drivers.
