SHARED FEARS Concerns cross borders as 13 students die in scholar transport accident
The shockwaves from Vanderbijlpark did not just stop at the Vaal. Here in Botswana, parents scrolling through social media and watching TV coverage of the deadly scholar transport crash in South Africa this Monday morning immediately drew parallels with their own daily worries. The chatter was blunt: taxi drivers ferrying children often drive recklessly, chasing time and money, and parents must stay alert.
“Don’t just trust any driver with your child’s life,” one post by Neo Mpolokeng warned, echoing a sentiment many Batswana have voiced before. Another facebook comment from Tumelo Molefhe read: “These taxi drivers are all the same. Even here in Botswana we see them speed with children in the morning and driving recklessly.
The tragedy across the border became a mirror reflecting fears already simmering here, where there are overloaded taxis speeding through morning traffic, and children squeezed into seats without proper oversight.
From South Africa, the official word is grim. Thirteen learners are confirmed dead after a minibus taxi used for scholar transport collided with a truck in Vanderbijlpark. The crash, described as one of the most horrific in recent memory, left several others critically injured.
Emfuleni Mayor Sipho Radebe called it part of a “national crisis,” pointing to the relentless pressure on taxi and scholar transport drivers to meet tight schedules. “They are working on target, which makes them intolerant on the road,” he said, noting the accident happened around half past seven, which is peak time when drivers are often rushing.
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane added his voice, urging parents and schools to register every vehicle and driver dropping off learners. “We can’t just wave kids off at the gate,” he stressed, calling for vigilance and accountability.
On social media, the grief was raw: “Fourteen young souls who woke up today expecting to go to school, not to their graves.” Posts raged at reckless driving and irresponsible behaviour, while communities in Botswana echoed the same warnings and urging fellow parents to be mindful of who takes their children to school each morning.
The official number is 13, but the bigger story is the shared anxiety across borders. Whether in Gauteng or Gaborone, the question remains the same: how safe are our children when the school run depends on drivers under pressure, chasing time instead of safety? Mind you, eyewitnesses say the driver was overtaking a file of several vehicles while speeding to beat the school time, only to collide with an oncoming tipper truck.
