Public urged to respect mourning families after Vaal scholar transport tragedy

The Gauteng education department has confirmed that 12 pupils died in the tragic scholar transport accident near Vanderbijlpark in the Vaal.

Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said three pupils remained in hospital, with two in public hospitals and one in a private hospital. “One was lifted last night to a private hospital because of the intervention by the parents,” he said.

One pupil and the truck assistant were discharged on Monday. According to Mabona, the taxi driver was also discharged and is being processed by police, though it is still unclear if he has been arrested.

Mabona has urged the public to refrain from sharing fake images or AI-generated graphics. “Families are mourning. They need to be respected,” he said.

Psychosocial support has been deployed to affected schools.

The schools that lost pupils include:

• Hoerskool Vanderbijlpark — three pupils;
• Vaal High School — one pupil;
• Oakwood Primary — one pupil;
• Vaal Triangle Primary — one pupil;
• Oliver Lodge Primary — one pupil;
• Noordhoek Primary — one pupil; and
• El Shaddai, an independent school — four pupils.

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