US EditionDeath toll in South Africa school bus crash rises to 14 as the driver is charged with murder
- On January 22, 2026 Ayanda Dludla appeared at Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court and the matter was adjourned to March 5 for further investigation.
- The scholar transport vehicle collided head-on on the R553 Golden Highway around 7 a.m., carrying 16 pupils; 12 children died at the scene and two more later died, victims were in grades 1 to 11.
- Seven people were injured, including five students, the bus driver and a passenger in the truck; three were discharged while two children remain hospitalized.
- Prosecutors upgraded charges to 14 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and driving without a professional license, with NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana saying the state has prima facie evidence.
- At the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate's Court hearing Thursday, Dludla declined to seek bail and elected not to be released on bail, police said he was initially charged with culpable homicide.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Death of 14 learners in horror crash highlights need for stricter enforcement of scholar transport laws
The recent collision in Vanderbijlpark between a minibus taxi and a truck, which claimed 14 young lives, has laid bare the lethal disconnect between South Africa’s scholar transport laws and the chaotic reality on the roads.
Associated Press News
Death toll in South Africa school bus crash rises to 14 as the driver is charged with murder
Authorities in South Africa say that two teenagers have died from injuries sustained in a school bus crash in the country's Gauteng province, raising the death toll to 14.
Driver in fatal Vanderbijlpark crash charged with murder – The Mail & Guardian
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. Th…
Scholar minibus driver responsible for tragic accident NAMED
The 22-year-old driver of a scholar transport minibus taxi involved in a fatal collision in which 14 learners died, has been named. The driver, Ayanda “Biggie” Dludla, appeared before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on 14 counts of culpable homicide, as well as charges of reckless and negligent driving. The matter has been postponed to Thursday, 5 March for further investigations. WATCH | Video footage of horror scholar crash e…
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