VANDERBIJLPARK – The death toll in Monday morning’s devastating motor vehicle accident involving a minibus taxi and a truck at Vanderbijlpark has risen to 13, with others remaining in critical condition.
The collision occurred this morning at approximately 07:00 on Fred Droste Road when a private scholar transport minibus collided with a side tipper truck, about 60km south of Johannesburg.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane and Premier Panyaza Lesufi visited the crash scene to assess the situation and offer support to affected families.
Preliminary investigations by the police indicate that the minibus driver appeared to have lost control while attempting to overtake other vehicles. A total of 11 learners were certified dead at the scene, with another two learners succumbing to injuries after being transported to hospital.
Three learners who sustained critical injuries are currently receiving urgent medical care at local hospitals. The minibus driver has also been hospitalised, while the condition of the truck driver remains uncertain.
The deceased learners are from both primary and high schools.
Speaking at the scene, Chiloane expressed the province’s devastation over the incident.
“It really is a tragic day for us as the department and the province. We extend our deepest condolences to the learners, families and school communities affected. We call for greater vigilance when it comes to scholar transports, particularly private scholar transport,” said Chiloane.
Lesufi described it as “a terrible scene”.
Images from the scene showed the crushed minibus on the roadside, with distraught parents gathered behind police tape, with some breaking down when allowed to see the bodies.
Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa has also expressed his shock regarding today’s learner transport tragedy.
“It is particularly distressing that this incident has taken place on the day the South African Human Rights Commission has published a report on scholar transport in the North West,” he said.
“Our children are the nation’s most precious assets and we must do all we can – from observing the rules of the road to the quality of service providers appointed to transport scholars – to protect learners.”
The president said his thoughts were with the families, teachers, classmates and friends of the young victims.
This is the latest in a string of deadly crashes in South Africa, where the modern road network is undermined by rampant speeding, reckless driving and poorly maintained vehicles. More than 11 400 lives were lost on South African roads in 2025, according to transport ministry data.
Many South African parents rely heavily on private minibuses to transport their children to school, highlighting the critical need for improved learner transport safety measures.
The Vanderbijlpark crash follows several other serious learner transport accidents in recent months.
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In October 2025, 18 children were badly hurt when their minibus lost control and overturned on a highway in KwaZulu-Natal.
And in September 2025, at least five students were killed and eight others injured when a school minibus ploughed into a crèche in KwaZulu-Natal.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Steve Mabona, spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Education, indicated that further verified details would be shared as the investigation progressed.
The department has emphasised the need for enhanced safety measures and greater vigilance in learner transport operations, particularly concerning private transport providers.
