By Thebe Mabanga  

Four victims of the scholar transport accident that claimed 14 lives in the Vaal last Monday were laid to rest on Sunday.

Leano Moiloa, who had turned 14 exactly a week before the tragedy, was buried in Sebokeng. Thato Moetji, who was due to turn 17 next week, Ofentse Vinger (6) and Bokamoso Mokhobo (13) were laid to rest at a joint funeral held at the Soul Tsotestsi Sports Ground.

The funeral was attended by several dignitaries, including army chaplains, Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga, Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane and Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela.

Sedibeng executive mayor Lerato Maloka and Emfuleni executive mayor Sipho Radebe were also present.

Renowned preacher Bishop Maratehi Seleke officiated at the service, alongside representatives from school governing bodies, the South African Principals’ Association, funeral undertakers, and taxi and scholar transport associations.

Industry associations used the occasion to pledge concrete measures aimed at improving road safety. The taxi industry, while acknowledging the Gauteng government’s efforts to formalise and regulate the sector — including cashless systems and scheduled services — said these interventions would contribute to improved safety.

In her tribute, Chikunga spoke of “14 bright mornings, 14 incomplete notebooks and 14 dreams” cut short by the tragedy. She delivered a stern message to the taxi industry, warning that they “do not carry loads, but carry futures,” and cautioned that if safety and driver conduct were not improved, operators must “step up or step aside.”

She further urged law enforcement to leave no stone unturned in investigating the incident, adding that “if crimes were committed, they must be prosecuted without fear or favour.”

Chikunga also noted that, in her capacity as minister responsible for youth, she bore responsibility for the driver at the centre of the tragedy, 22-year-old Ayanda Dludla, who remains in custody after abandoning his bail application.

She said Dludla must be held accountable for his actions and face consequences, but stressed that there should also be room for rehabilitation and education to prevent other young drivers from repeating the same mistakes.

“Accountability is part of healing. Justice has mercy,” she said.

Chiloane praised businesses — led by the Vaal Undertakers Forum and the scholar transport association — as well as individual businesspeople who contributed to the funerals, including those who assisted with burials outside the province.

He also paid tribute to his department’s teams for providing psychosocial support to affected families and schools, noting that “our grief is collective, and the call for change is non-negotiable.”

Lesufi opened his eulogy with hymn 110, Holokile (“All Is Well”), and called for a broader overhaul of the schooling system so that parents are not forced to enrol children in schools far from home.

He told the families that “this is not their pain to bear” but rather to be shared.  

Various clergy and gospel artists contributed to different parts of the service, while a local tombstone company donated tombstones.

The learners were laid to rest at Jacobskop and Vanderbijlpark cemeteries.

INSIDE EDUCTION

By Thebe Mabanga

The Gauteng Department of Education has launched a R240 million school for learners with special needs in Springs, Ekurhuleni, catering for learners with epilepsy, autism and other specialised needs.

The Dr W.K. du Plessis School for Learners with Special Education Needs was funded entirely by the provincial government through a combination of equitable share and conditional grants, and was constructed by the Department of Infrastructure Development.

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane welcomed the opening of the school, saying it addressed a critical need in the Far East Rand. The school caters for learners from Grade 1 to Grade 12 and currently enrols about 380 learners. It also offers boarding facilities for 60 learners, which are currently operating at half capacity.

Chiloane said the school would help ease pressure on the province’s waiting list for learners with special needs, which currently stands at around 300.

The school achieved a 100% matric pass rate in the previous academic year, with 73% of learners obtaining bachelor passes.

Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Nkosingiphile Xhakaza described the school as a boost to the province’s skills development base, given Ekurhuleni’s role as Gauteng’s industrial and logistics hub.

Xhakaza said the metro currently spends R12 million annually on educational support through bursaries, equipment, facilities and other interventions, and expressed confidence that the school would produce learners who could benefit from these initiatives.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the opening of a school was always exciting, adding that opening one for learners with special needs was particularly significant.

“Learners with special needs should not be limited to menial or clerical work,” Lesufi said, noting that the school would help ensure their meaningful participation in the mainstream economy.

He challenged Chiloane to continue opening a new school every month, pointing out that a school had been opened during each week of the current school year.

MEC for Infrastructure Development Jacob Mamabolo praised the speed at which the project was completed, noting that construction began after the Covid-19 pandemic. He said the issuing of the occupancy certificate — a process that can take up to 12 months — had been fast-tracked to allow learners to occupy the school this year.

Protest disruption

The launch was briefly disrupted by a protest by learners from surrounding schools. Chiloane met with the protesters and later told attendees that they were “raising legitimate issues”, instructing senior officials to attend to their concerns.

The protesters called for the placement of unplaced learners and for infrastructure upgrades to address overcrowding, claiming that some classes had as many as 70 learners.

Chiloane confirmed that the province currently has about 2 000 unplaced learners in Grades 1 and 8. He said the department was rolling out mobile classrooms to increase capacity and would also use “host schools” and available spaces such as school halls, supported by subject specialists.

He noted that Gauteng receives between 70 000 and 80 000 new learners annually due to inward migration, adding that infrastructure development was struggling to keep pace with demand.

Addressing concerns around admissions for foreign nationals, Chiloane said South African learners should receive preference. He dismissed claims that applicants could secure placement by applying as foreigners, saying the system required valid documentation to verify nationality or immigration status.

He warned that action would be taken against any school or district official found to have illegally facilitated placements.

Gauteng Legislature Education Portfolio Committee chairperson Moipone Mhlongo welcomed the opening of the school and its focus on learners with special needs. She also used the occasion to pay tribute to the 14 learners who died in a recent accident in the Vaal, calling for tighter regulation of scholar transport.

Acting Deputy Principal Heindrich Terblanche said the new and refurbished facilities would motivate both learners and educators to achieve even better results. He attributed the school’s success to dedicated teachers, strong parental support, and learners “who absorb material like a sponge”.

The school caters for learners with mild to severe intellectual learning disabilities, as well as epilepsy and autism. It is equipped with gross and fine motor equipment, specialised classrooms, therapy rooms, on-site nursing support and specialist educators. It also features newly equipped cooking and life-skills centres.

Originally founded in Kimberley in the Northern Cape, the school relocated to Springs in 1968, where it has operated from its original buildings until the recent upgrade.

The school serves communities in KwaThema, Tsakane and Duduza — collectively known as Kwa Tsaduza — as well as the towns of Springs, Brakpan and Nigel.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Akani Nkuna

Gauteng MEC for Education Matome Chiloane has lashed out at the province’s scholar transport system, blaming regulatory failures and systemic shortcomings for the fatal crash that claimed the lives of 14 learners in Vanderbijlpark earlier this week.

“This tragedy did not occur in isolation. It occurred within a system — a scholar transport system that has for too long operated in the shadows,” Chiloane said.
“A system with inadequate oversight, insufficient regulation and no meaningful accountability failed these 14 children. It failed these 14 families, and it must change.”

He warned scholar transport operators that the province would no longer tolerate negligence.

“To scholar transport operators across Gauteng, hear me clearly today: the era of recklessness is over,” he said.

Chiloane was speaking at a memorial service held at Saul Tsotetsi Sports Ground in Sebokeng, where mourners gathered amid heavy grief and visible anguish following the tragedy that has shaken the Vanderbijlpark community and the country at large.

The MEC urged the public to allow the law to take its course, while stressing that consequences must follow. He referred to the scholar transport driver, 22-year-old Ayanda Dludla, who has since abandoned his bail application following his first appearance at the Vaal Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 22 January.

“There must be accountability. The blood of these 14 children cries out for justice — and justice they will have,” Chiloane said.

He announced plans for stringent reforms to regulate scholar transport through a three-pronged partnership involving parents, schools and transport operators. Under the proposed framework, operators will undergo rigorous vetting, including roadworthiness inspections and psychological assessments of drivers.

“Our schools will not accept learners transported by private scholar transport unless there are signed contracts between parents, the operator and the school. All three parties must take full responsibility,” he added.

Bereaved families, still grappling with shock and trauma, found the strength to address the congregation of community members, government officials, church leaders and fellow learners. Many spoke of shattered dreams and young lives cut short before they could leave their mark on the world.

Thato Moetji, a Grade 12 learner at Hoërskool Vanderbijlpark who succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, 22 January, was remembered as disciplined, gentle and deeply principled.

“It saddens us that today we mourn a soul taken too soon,” said her relative, Boitumelo.

“She lived with kindness, humanity and faith, touching everyone she met. Pure in heart and disciplined in her life — she was an angel among us.”

An aunt of Lindokuhle Mabasa, a Grade 5 learner at Noordhoek Primary School, said the family was struggling to come to terms with the loss of a child known for her curiosity and love of learning.

“We have suffered a great loss as a family. We had high hopes that Lindokuhle would grow into an exceptional, educated young woman. Even at her tender age, she showed a passion for education,” she said.

The father of Ofentse Jayden Vinger, who had just begun his schooling journey in Grade 1 at Oliver Lodge Primary School, reflected on the pain of a life cut tragically short.

“I had my son outside of marriage, and circumstances meant we lived apart, but we had a good relationship,” he said.

“As young people, we must respect cultural values and listen to our parents. It pains me deeply that my boy is no more. We did not have much time together in this lifetime.”

INSIDE EDUCATION