A child has died, and 14 others were injured after a scholar transport minibus taxi overturned in KwaMashu, prompting authorities to call on the driver, who fled the scene, to hand himself over to police.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma extended condolences to the grieving family following the crash in the Mount Moriah area on Wednesday afternoon.
The minibus taxi was transporting children from daycare centres when it overturned, leaving several young passengers seriously injured. Emergency services rushed the children to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, where they received treatment.
Duma said provincial officials were immediately dispatched to the hospital to support the injured children and their families.
“The traumatic experience which the children have had to endure will take many years to heal,” Duma said in a statement.
According to the taxi owner, the driver phoned after the crash, claiming that the accident was caused by brake failure. However, the driver has since disappeared.
Duma urged the driver to present himself to the authorities as investigations continue.
Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) have opened a case and are working with the province’s Road Traffic Inspectorate to determine whether the vehicle was roadworthy and what led to the crash.
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has ensured that the injured children receive proper medical care, while Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka will coordinate support for the affected learners, teachers and parents.
Social Development MEC Mbali Shinga is also deploying social workers to provide trauma counselling and psychosocial support to the children and their families.
Authorities say scholar transport safety remains a major concern across South Africa. The national Department of Transport has previously warned that many scholar transport vehicles operate without proper permits or fail to meet roadworthiness requirements.
The Department of Basic Education has similarly emphasised the need for stricter monitoring of vehicles transporting pupils, noting that unsafe scholar transport continues to place learners at risk, particularly in townships and rural areas where many families rely on privately operated minibuses.
Duma said the provincial government would coordinate support across departments to assist the affected families and ensure that all circumstances surrounding the crash are fully investigated.
“We remain committed to working together as government to support the children, their families and the broader community during this difficult time,” he said.
