The 22-year-old scholar transport driver who was driving the vehicle in which at least 14 school pupils died in Vanderbijlpark on Monday, 19 January 2026 has appeared at the Vanderbijlpark magistrate’s court on Thursday, 22 January 2026.
It is alleged that on 19 January 2026, the accused was driving a scholar transport vehicle on the R553 Golden Highway, transporting 16 learners, when he allegedly collided head-on with an oncoming truck.
The collision resulted in the deaths of 14 learners, while two learners and the truck driver sustained injuries.
While appearing before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court, the scholar transport driver, Ayanda Dludla, decided to abandoned his bail application.
Dludla faces 14 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, as well as charges of operating a motor vehicle without a certificate of fitness, driving without a professional driving permit, and operating an unlicensed motor vehicle.
City Report understands that preliminary investigations by the Gauteng Department of Education and South African Police Service (SAPS) revealed that the driver’s Professional Driving Permit (PDP) had expired in November 2025.
In response to the disaster, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and other officials visited the bereaved families, and psychosocial support was provided to the affected schools.
Meanwhile, affected families are requesting that the vehicle owner be held just as accountable as the driver. Families and political organizations have called for stricter regulation and enforcement of scholar transport safety standards to prevent future tragedies.
They say the school placement system forces parents to send children far from home, leaving them little choice but to rely on scholar transport.
The matter was postponed to 05 March 2026 for further investigations, and the accused remains in custody.
