Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng – The Gauteng Provincial Government has confirmed that 12 learners lost their lives in a horrific scholar transport accident in Vanderbijlpark while travelling to school on Monday, 19 January 2026, correcting earlier reports that had placed the death toll at 14
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the provincial government extended its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the learners who remain hospitalised. A high-level delegation comprising Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube, Members of the Executive Council (MECs), and Sedibeng Executive Mayors visited injured learners in hospital and the affected families to offer support
Learners hospitalised, one critical
According to the Department of Health, seven survivors were transported by Gauteng Emergency Medical Services to Sebokeng and Kopanong Hospitals. As of 15h00 on Tuesday, three learners remain admitted in the Intensive Care Unit at Sebokeng Hospital, including a 10-year-old boy and two teenage girls aged 15 and 16. One learner remains in a critical condition, while another is reported to be critical but stable. A fourth learner, a 17-year-old girl, was airlifted to a private hospital in Alberton for specialised care
The minibus taxi driver involved in the accident was discharged from hospital and immediately taken into custody by the South African Police Service (SAPS). Authorities have confirmed that autopsies for all 12 deceased learners have been concluded, with ten bodies already released to families and two still at the Sebokeng Forensic Pathology Services mortuary
Psychosocial support and road safety clampdown
To assist grieving families, the Gauteng Department of Health has deployed counsellors and chaplains to hospitals and the mortuary to provide trauma debriefing and bereavement support, while the Department of Education is offering psychosocial support to affected schools and communities
Meanwhile, the Department of Roads and Transport has announced a tightening of scholar transport safety enforcement, including stricter compliance with the National Road Traffic Act and National Land Transport Act, increased use of technology, and tougher action against non-compliant operators. Authorities have urged the public to report reckless driving and unroadworthy scholar transport vehicles, warning that learner safety is non-negotiable and offenders will face the full might of the law
As Gauteng mourns the loss of young lives, the tragedy has once again highlighted the urgent need for improved scholar transport oversight, accountability, and road safety interventions to prevent future loss of life.
