The scholar transport tragedy in Vanderbijlpark has sparked a debate about who should be held accountable for the deaths of the pupils.
The only survivors of the collision were the children of the man who owns the minibus taxi, the Sunday Times discovered. The owner has been identified as Jimmy Vinger, deputy chairperson of Gauteng Education Transport Services and a pastor at the African Immanuel Assemblies of God in Sebokeng.
Vinger’s son, Ayanda Dludla, who was driving the vehicle, and his school-aged daughter, who was a passenger, were the only people to survive the wreckage.
The minibus owner’s two younger daughters, who normally travel in the taxi, escaped the disaster because they did not attend school that day.
Dludla has been charged with 14 counts of murder and attempted murder. Investigations further revealed he was driving without a valid licence and operating an unlicensed vehicle at the time of the crash. After his initial court appearance, Dludla abandoned his bail application and remains in custody.
Though the taxi belongs to Vinger, he faces no criminal charges. He has spoken publicly about the tragedy, recounting the chilling moment his disoriented son called him immediately after the head-on collision with a truck on the Golden Highway.
However, some members of the public are asking if Vinger, as the vehicle owner and a transport official, should be held accountable for allowing an unlicensed driver to operate an illegal vehicle.
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