Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi says the taxi driver involved in Monday’s tragic scholar transport crash in Vanderbijlpark was driving with an expired public driver’s permit. Twelve pupils were killed when the minibus taxi they were travelling in collided with a truck on their way to school on Monday. Five other learners were injured, with two still in intensive care.
“Our hearts are not only bleeding, it’s becoming harder and harder to hold back our emotions,” said Lesufi during a media briefing on Tuesday. “It’s been a very difficult time for all of us.” Lesufi said the taxi driver was discharged from hospital and arrested shortly thereafter. According to the premier, police confirmed that his Professional Driving Permit (PDP) had expired in November 2025.
He is expected to appear in court soon. The truck driver, who was not seriously injured, went to hospital on his own and has arranged to give a full statement to police. His assistant was treated and discharged.
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All 12 pupils have now been identified. Ten of the bodies have been collected by their families, while two remain at the Sebokeng Forensic Pathology Services mortuary. Lesufi said that the province is also offering support to the families, including home visits, counselling and help with funeral arrangements.
Lesufi said the province had already started cracking down on unsafe scholar transport before the crash. Between January 12 and 18, traffic officers issued hundreds of fines and notices to operators in Johannesburg and Tshwane. In Tshwane, 335 handwritten notices were issued to operators whose vehicles were not roadworthy, with fines totalling R511,000.
In Johannesburg, 442 notices were issued, amounting to R696,000 in penalties. Electronic enforcement including CCTV and e-toll camera checks flagged 263 infringements in Tshwane and 850 in Johannesburg. A total of 93 operating permits were discontinued across the province during this period.
According to Lesufi, 16 vehicles were impounded, and five people were arrested. Three of them were arrested for attempting to bribe law enforcement officers. He stressed that while public scholar transport which uses buses and carries over 260,000 learners daily is regulated, private scholar transport remains difficult to monitor.
“Because these are family arrangements with the drivers, it’s extremely difficult for us to have the statistics,” he said. Lesufi said the tragedy has made it clear that laws and regulations around scholar transport need to be reviewed.
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