Scholar transport driver arrested
The police have arrested the 22-year-old scholar transport driver who was involved in an accident that claimed the lives of 12 learners in Vanderbijlpark on Monday, 19 January 2026.
He was arrested after he was discharged from hospital.
He is expected to appear before Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court within 48 hours, facing charges of twelve counts of culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving.
The Gauteng provincial department of transport said on Tuesday Preliminary investigations into the devastating Vanderbijlpark scholar transport crash have revealed that the driver of the minibus taxi involved did not hold a valid licence to operate the vehicle.
After the police visited the hospitals and the mortuary to verify the number of fatalities and injuries, it can be confirmed that twelve learners died at the accident scene and five were taken to the nearest hospitals for medical treatment, of which one has since been discharged.
