Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Matome Chiloane vowed to assist the grieving families of the four primary school boys who lost their lives in an accident on the N12 on March 10.
He assured them they would receive full details of the incident to help them find closure.
Chiloane, accompanied by district officials from the Gauteng Department of Education, visited the families of the young victims Khethelo Zulu (9), Hlompo Mofokeng (8), Kgosi Malatjie (6) and Lubanzi Nhlapo (7) in Etwatwa and Daveyton on March 12.
Speaking after the visit, Chiloane acknowledged the families’ concerns, particularly their demand for answers about the cause of the accident and whether anyone will be held accountable.
“We will assist them in getting closure. As the department, we, too, have suffered a loss and apologise for what happened. This, should not have occurred.
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“We call on sister departments, including transport, community safety and law enforcement, to work with us to ensure scholar transport vehicles are roadworthy.
“It is better for children to arrive at school late but alive than to be transported in unsafe vehicles. Their lives matter more.”
He urged scholar transport providers to prioritise safety, reminding them they carry ‘precious cargo’ every day and called on schools to be more vigilant by keeping track of transport operators.
“We must reach a point where drivers sign in daily and disclose how many children they transport to and from school,” said Chiloane.
Chiloane stated the claim of overloading the scholar transport vehicle in the N12 accident is under investigation and they will inform families of the findings.
He confirmed the four other children who sustained serious injuries in the crash remained hospitalised, with some in the ICU.
Families demand answers
Sibusiso Zulu, the uncle of Khethelo Zulu and Hlompo Mofokeng, expressed his shock and grief.
“I was at work when I received news that I should rush home. When I got home, I heard about the accident and we went to the accident scene.
“At the scene, I was furious to find the scholar transport still there, but the vehicle that hit it had already been removed. I do not understand why they did that.”
He described his nephews as jovial boys whose absence was already deeply felt.
Zulu said the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has since visited the family, informing them they are also investigating the crash.
Fhulufhelo Makhado, Lubanzi Nhlapo’s great-uncle, recounted seeing the child still trapped inside the wreckage when they arrived.
“He had a bandage on his head, and there was a cut, but he was not bleeding anywhere else.
“I hope this case does not disappear into thin air because of bribery. All we want is answers, and we want the person responsible to be held accountable,” he said.
What happened
According to Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services spokesperson William Ntladi, authorities received reports of a collision on the N12 at around 07:45.
He said when they arrived on the scene, they found a scholar transport vehicle, a Toyota Verso and a private vehicle, a Hilux bakkie.
“Children were trapped in the scholar transport vehicle. Four children were declared dead, while another four were transported to the hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the scholar transport was not injured.
“The female driver of the second vehicle, the Hilux, sustained critical injuries and was also extricated from the wreckage before being airlifted to a nearby hospital.”
The cause of the accident remains unknown, and police are investigating the circumstances of the crash.
The driver of the Hilux is reportedly an EMPD officer based in Kempton Park.
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