‘He was disoriented’: Taxi owner speaks after Vanderbijlpark crash [VIDEO]

by Staff Bona

The owner of the minibus taxi involved in a crash that killed 14 schoolchildren has described the aftermath of the tragedy, as the driver faces multiple serious charges.

The accident occurred when 22-year-old Ayanda Dludla was filmed overtaking several vehicles before colliding head-on with a truck.

Dludla and one passenger survived, while 14 children died.

Dludla’s father, Jimmy Vinger, said his son phoned him shortly after the crash in a confused and distressed state, according to The Sunday Times. 

Vinger, who also works in the education transport sector, immediately began informing families of the victims before going to the scene, where emergency services were attending to the dead and injured.

He described his son as inconsolable and said Dludla wanted to apologise to the families.

A paramedic not directly involved in the response spoke about the emotional toll such scenes take on first responders, particularly when children are among the victims.

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The tragedy was compounded by the circulation of images and videos on social media, which one grieving mother, Buhle Radebe, condemned as exploiting families’ pain for online attention.

Dludla later appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court, where he faces 14 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and additional charges related to driving without proper permits and vehicle licensing. He abandoned his bail application amid protests demanding justice.

In response, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and her deputy ordered intensified law enforcement operations focused on scholar transport, with particular attention to speeding, overloading and vehicle roadworthiness, warning operators that failure to comply will result in tough legal action.

“They have stressed the fact that these enforcement operations must intensify the focus on overloading, roadworthiness and speeding, all of which were central to saving lives in the previous year and over the festive season, The Citizen quoted the minister’s spokesperson Collen Msibi as saying.

“They have also made a clarion call to the scholar transport operators as well as buses and taxi associations to get their act together or face the full might of the law.”

Compiled by Betha Madhomu 

First published on African Insider 

Also see: Three pupils from Vaal crash honoured in a joint funeral in Gauteng