Central SA
Vanderbijlpark scholar transport driver case postponed─── ZENANDE MPAME 14:31 Thu, 14 May 2026
The case of the Vanderbijlpark scholar transport driver will be back in court in June for a formal bail application and the director of public prosecutions’ decision.
Ayanda Dludla, 22, appeared in the same court on Wednesday (13/5), and he was remanded in custody until Thursday (18/6). He faces several charges, including 14 counts of murder, three of attempted murder, reckless and negligent driving, and operating without a valid permit.
Dludla has been in custody since January in connection with the death of the learners. In January, learners from various primary and secondary schools were travelling in a Toyota Quantum when the vehicle collided with a truck.
Eleven learners died instantly when the minibus collided with a side tipper truck, causing it to veer off the R553. Three more succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.
Dash-cam footage from the truck showed the minibus was in the oncoming lane with enough time and space to avoid the collision, but the driver failed to do so.
“We are still waiting for the decision on the schedule because we don't know whether or not the schedule will change when the DPP concludes its decision,” said Dludla’s lawyer, Reward Nxumalo.
“So if the DPP were to come back and say the charges are culpable homicide, then automatically we'll go to Schedule 5. If we were to proceed with the bail application at this stage, it would definitely be Schedule 6.
“Then, on the day we have the DPP outcome, we will know how to proceed with the bail arrangements and when the bail court is going to sit.”
Dludla was arrested shortly after the accident, following his discharge from the hospital. The crash occurred just three days after schools reopened in January and sent shockwaves through communities across Gauteng.
The accident claimed the lives of 14 learners. Preliminary investigations revealed Dludla’s professional driving permit had expired in November.
His lawyer previously said in April that his client was remorseful and that he was struggling to cope in Vereeniging prison; he cries in between consultations and is deeply sorry for what happened.
“I understand that lives were lost, and as painful as it is, I've seen my client, and I've seen the families of the victims,” said Nxumalo. “This is the one part perhaps where, in the eyes of the law, we have to balance the various factors.”
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