Vaal 14 Driver Faces Counts of murder

Last Thursday was a bittersweet day for the parents of the 14 learners who passed away in the car accident on 19 January 2026 in Vanderbijlpark, as the driver responsible for the fatal crash was finally read his charges during his first court appearance. Ayanda Dludla, the 22-year-old scholar transport driver, is facing 14 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, one count of driving without a professional driving permit, one count of driving an unlicensed vehicle, and a charge of reckless and negligent driving. The accident happened on a Monday when the scholar transport vehicle collided with a side-tipper truck while learners were on their way to their various schools. In a now viral dashcam video of the accident, the scholar transport vehicle can be seen trying to overtake several cars before the truck approached. The attempt was unsuccessful, and although the driver tried to swerve, the truck struck the body of the taxi. Following the accident, Dludla was hospitalised but released into the custody of law enforcement on Tuesday. He was initially facing 12 counts of culpable homicide along with reckless and negligent driving, but additional charges were added as the investigation progressed and two more learners succumbed to their injuries before his appearance. During the proceedings, the accused indicated through his legal aid representative that he is abandoning his bail application. The matter has been postponed to 5 March for further investigation. The learners who lost their lives in the accident attended Hoërskool Vanderbijlpark, Vaal High School, Oakwood Primary School, Vaal Triangle Primary School, Oliver Lodge Primary School, Noordhoek Primary School, and El-Shaddai Christian School. Dludla was only required to travel 16km from Sebokeng to Vanderbijlpark to transport the children, a route he took five days a week and was familiar with. According to Mathews Mokhachane, chairperson of the Gauteng Education Transport Services (GETS) - the association under which the accused was operating - the organisation had received multiple complaints about Dludla’s reckless driving. Speaking outside the court on Thursday, Mokhachane emphasised that they would not hinder the investigation. “We don’t stand for anything. We don’t defend. We are saying let the law take its course. If the person in charge is guilty; guilty, we allow the Constitution to take its course. As law-abiding citizens, we stand by the safety of our kids,” he said. Mokhachane added that while such incidents were rare in the past, drivers are increasingly found engaging in “all sorts of shenanigans.” He further clarified that even though Dludla was driving a vehicle belonging to GETS, the driver himself was not a member, although his employer is.