Vaal scholar transport crash: Driver remains in custody

The man implicated in the horror crash that killed 14 pupils only three days after schools opened in January appeared in Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. Ayanda Dludla’s fate hangs in the balance as the court awaits the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to decide on the final charges and where the trial will take place, reported theSedibeng Ster. The 22-year-old was arrested shortly after the accident involving a minibus and a truck.

He currently faces several charges, including 14 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and reckless and negligent driving. Dludla’s lawyer, Advocate Reward Nxumalo, told the media that his client is struggling to cope in Vereeniging prison. While Dludla has chosen not to apply for bail for now, his legal team says he is deeply sorry for what happened.

“He cries in between the sessions,” Nxumalo said, adding that they are considering psychiatric observation and counselling while he is behind bars. “We understand that lives were lost, and as painful as it is, I’ve seen my client, and I’ve seen the family of the victims,” he added. This is the one part where, in the eyes of the law, we have to balance the various factors.