US EditionExpired Permit Confirmed in Vanderbijlpark School Transport Crash that Killed 12 Pupils
The 22-year-old driver’s expired professional driving permit contributed to the crash that killed 12 learners and injured five, officials said.
- On Monday morning, 19 January 2026, a private scholar transport minibus and a truck collided head-on on the R553 Golden Highway in Vanderbijlpark, killing twelve learners.
- After the crash, authorities discovered that Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed the 22-year-old minibus driver was arrested and his professional driving permit expired last year; Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said three drivers were involved.
- The minibus, operating full-time as scholar transport, was travelling from Sebokeng to Vanderbijlpark and five learners were taken to hospital, with two in intensive care.
- Gauteng officials said on Tuesday that Panyaza Lesufi, Gauteng Premier, Siviwe Gwarube, Minister of Basic Education, and Matome Chiloane, Gauteng MEC for Education, visited families and arranged burials, groceries, counselling, and psychosocial support for affected families and schools.
- The RTMC said a preliminary report due on Thursday, 22 January, following an inspection period 12 to 18 January that issued 335 notices, discontinued 93 buses, arrested five people, and impounded 16 cars.
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14 Articles
Expired permit confirmed in Vanderbijlpark school transport crash that killed 12 pupils
The scholar transport vehicle involved in a horrific crash in Vanderbijlpark, which claimed the lives of 12 pupils, was operating with a Public Driver’s Permit (PDP), that expired last year in November.
‘Imagine seeing your living child on a condolences poster’: department slams fake posts after Vanderbijlpark crash
The Gauteng department of health has urged the public to stop circulating fake social media posts following the tragic Vanderbijlpark learner transport accident that claimed the lives of 12 children.
South Africa: Twelve Schoolchildren Die in Scholar Transport Crash
Twelve learners have now been confirmed dead after a private scholar transport crash in Vanderbijlpark. Several other learners were injured and taken to hospital as emergency teams continue working at the scene.
LATEST | Death toll in scholar crash revised DOWN to 12
The death toll from the scholar transport crash involving a minibus and a truck in Vanderbijlpark on Monday has been confirmed at 12, following clarification by the Gauteng Department of Health and Wellness. Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko moved to correct misinformation after earlier reports claimed that the number of fatalities had risen to 14. “We wish to address and dispel the unverified reports suggesting that the num…
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