Death of 14 learners defies life’s natural order – Chiloane

Gauteng Education MEC, Matome Chiloane, says the sudden death of the 14 learners in a scholar transport in Vanderbijlpark, defies life’s natural order.

Chiloane addressed mourners at a mass memorial service, held today in Sebokeng, where families, community members and government officials gathered to honour the victims.

Eleven learners died at the scene of the crash, while three others succumbed to their injuries in hospital, with two of them passing away yesterday morning.

The scholar transport taxi collided with a truck on the R553 Golden Highway after the driver allegedly attempted to overtake several vehicles.

The MEC paid tribute to the bereaved families, pledging the department’s continued support during what he described as an unimaginably painful time.

Visibly emotional, Chiloane reflected on the scale of the tragedy and the haunting scenes encountered at the crash site.

“When Premier Lesufi and I arrived at the scene on Monday morning we witnessed something which will haunt us for the rest of our lives. The wreckage, the silence, the small school shoes scattered on the side of the road. The lunchboxes that will never be opened. We stood there as two grown men; representatives of government and we wept. We wept because there is no amount of words, policies, or speeches which can make sense of such a devastation,” Chiloane said.

[WATCH]: Speaking at the memorial service of the late 14 Vanderbijlpark learners today, Gauteng Education MEC @matomekopano said the children left home “with school bags filled with books, lunch boxes and dreams, but never made it to school.” MEC recalls how he and the Premier… pic.twitter.com/29Wpau6c9u

— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) January 23, 2026

Meanwhile, one of the mothers who lost a child in the crash has broken her silence.

Seventeen-year-old Buhle Radebe, a Grade 11 learner at Hoërskool Vanderbijlpark, was among those who died.

Her mother, popularly known on social media as the “lady in red,” went viral after footage showed her distraught at the crash scene shortly after the incident.

She has since criticised how her grief was treated online, saying her pain was turned into content.

An uncle of another victim says the family is shattered by the loss of his niece, adding they had hoped she would survive to tell the story.

Sixteen-year-old Sagwadi Mathe, a matric learner at Hoërskool Vanderbijlpark, passed away in hospital yesterday morning after several days of medical care.

He says the family had high hopes for her future.

“So to my baby girl, you know we were expecting a lot. Sagwadi was doing matric this year. She is 16 years old and she was going to turn 17 on the 27th. so we were expecting a lot from her and we had high hopes. I thought one day I would be standing on the stage with a mic after she receives a degree, a diploma, or a masters,” the uncle said.

The learners will be laid to rest over the weekend.

[IN PICTURES]: Memorial Service for the learners who lost their lives in a tragic scholar transport incident that took place on Monday, 19 January 2026, in Vanderbijlpark.

📍Saul Tsotetsi Sports Ground, Sebokeng pic.twitter.com/DVyEPzcO3w

— Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) January 23, 2026

The scholar transport driver at the centre of the deadly Vanderbijlpark crash, abandoned his bail bid on Thursday.

Twenty-two-year-old Ayanda Dludla appeared before the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court, facing 14 counts of murder, three attempted murder, and negligent driving.

Additional charges include operating a motor vehicle without a certificate of fitness, driving without a professional driving permit, and operating an unlicensed motor vehicle.