Vaal scholar transport crash claims two more lives as death toll reaches 14

The Vaal scholar transport crash near has claimed two more pupils, pushing the death toll to 14. Police say the learners died in the early hours of Thursday, 22 January 2026. 

This tragedy has shaken the Vaal and the wider Gauteng community. It has also renewed questions about route safety, vehicle compliance, and who carries responsibility when children travel to school in private transport.

Vaal scholar transport crash: what happened on the road near Vanderbijlpark

Authorities say the crash happened on Monday morning, 19 January 2026, while pupils travelled to school on a narrow road in the Vaal area near Vanderbijlpark. 

According to the Gauteng Education Department, the collision happened shortly after 7am on Fred Drost Road when a private minibus carrying learners collided with a truck. 

Death toll at 14: why early figures shifted

In the first 48 hours after a major crash, numbers often change as hospitals confirm outcomes and authorities reconcile reports.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said two pupils died in the early hours of Thursday morning, and the driver now faces 14 counts of culpable homicide, plus reckless and negligent driving. 

At the same time, some public updates differed earlier in the week. For example, Gauteng Health disputed “unverified reports” at one point and said it had confirmed 12 learners collected from the scene at the time of its statement. 

The clearest way to read the latest update is this: as of Thursday, 22 January 2026, police reported the death toll at 14. 

The investigation, dashcam footage, and the court appearance regarding the Vaal scholar transport crash

Masondo said the 22-year-old driver will appear at the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. 

Investigators have also focused on driving behaviour in the moments before impact. The Witness reported dashcam footage believed to be from a truck involved in the crash. It appears to show the minibus overtaking several vehicles shortly before the collision. 

Residents have also raised long-running concerns about the route, which they describe as risky due to reckless driving by heavy trucks on a narrow roadway. 

Questions about licensing and whether the vehicle was authorised

The Gauteng Department of Transport’s preliminary findings suggest the driver and vehicle might not have been legally authorised to transport pupils. Department spokesperson Lesiba Mpya said early indications pointed to an unlicensed driver and a Toyota Quantum not registered for scholar transport. 

South African law and industry guidance treat learner transport as public transport, which requires the correct operating licence. 

What compliant scholar transport should have

Use this as a parent or school checklist:

• A valid operating licence for scholar transport (public transport rules apply). 
• A properly licensed driver with the correct professional driving permissions for public transport work. 
• A written agreement/letter confirming the service arrangement, as required in scholar transport applications. 

Why this tragedy matters beyond Vanderbijlpark

This crash lands in a country that still battles high road death figures. The RTMC recorded 3,132 road fatalities between October and December 2024, and pedestrians made up 42.6% of those deaths. 

Those numbers do not explain this crash. However, they show why enforcement, road engineering, and safe transport systems remain urgent, especially when children travel in peak-hour traffic.