Anger as Vanderbijlpark scholar transport driver granted bail

The mother of one of the 14 learners who died in the tragic school transport crash in January has broken down in tears after the driver accused in the case was granted bail.

Ayanda Dludla, 23, was granted R3 000 bail by the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court.

Fatal collision

Dludla faces 14 counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder in connection with the crash that claimed the lives of 14 schoolchildren.

The fatal collision happened on 19 January on the R553 Golden Highway when a scholar transport minibus collided with a side-tipper truck.

WATCH | Video footage of horror scholar crash emerges – GRAPHIC CONTENT

Among those who died was seven-year-old Tshepo, whose mother, Innocentia Binger, said the family was struggling to come to terms with the bail decision.

Binger said the accused lives in the same community as many of the bereaved families, meaning they could encounter him regularly.

“I don’t know how we’re going to deal because we all stay in the same community; 80% of the parents we gonna see him every day,” she said.

“My child was only seven years old, and he is no more.”

Families face painful reality

The bail decision comes as grieving families continue to deal with the loss of their children months after the devastating crash.

For Binger, the fact that she could see the accused in the community adds another layer of pain to the tragedy.

The State had opposed Dludla’s bail application, given the seriousness of the charges against him.

However, the court ultimately granted bail of R3 000.

The matter was postponed to 9 to 17 November 2026 for trial.