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Picture Courtesy: (@EducationGP1 shared via X) Gauteng MEC of Education, Sports, Arts, Culture and RECREATION, Matome Chiloane, visited the scene of the minibus accident that claimed the lives of 12 pupils and their driver while they were being transported to school.
(The Post News)- An accident involving a minibus carrying pupils claimed the lives of 12 pupils and the driver in Gauteng.
The pupils were on their way to school on Wednesday, July 10, when the accident occurred on the N12 close to Elands Road in the Kokosi-Wedela neighborhood of Merafong at about 6.45 a.m.
Seven other pupils who were injured were hurried to the hospital.
According to the Department of Education, out of the 12, 11 pupils were from Rocklands Primary School, while one was from Laerskool Blyvooruitsig in Carltonville.
In a media statement, Gauteng MEC for Education, Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation, Matome Chiloane, confirmed the accident and stated authorities reported to the Department that a private scholar transport was engaged in a fatal accident that claimed the lives of 12 pupils and their driver.
To offer support and work together with the school and impacted families, the department has deployed its psychological support services to the school.
Moreover, staff and learners will also have access to counseling services to help them with the emotional aftermath of this tragedy.
Chiloane conveyed his deepest and sincere condolences to the families, friends, and community of both schools and wished the hospitalised pupils a speedy recovery.
The Department’s spokesperson, Steve Mobona, explained that a bakkie allegedly hit the leaner transport from behind, causing it to overturn and then catch fire. He further mentioned that authorities are looking into what led up to this horrifying incident.
The police have confirmed that they have opened a case of culpable homicide and reported that the driver of the Ford Ranger bakkie was being treated in the hospital.
Speaking to the media while visiting the scene of the accident, Chiloane said that the affected families will receive assistance and expressed that the department feels the same pain as the families of the deceased when pupils pass away.
Chiloane said that this incident is proof that more work needs to be done to ensure that children are kept safe on the roads. He added that the department will assess its options and decide how it will help the families moving forward.
According to Chiloane, he has conversed with the community’s council leadership regarding finding ways of working together to show their support to the impacted families and how they are going to handle the burials of the pupils.
Spokesperson of Public Safety Nico Kahts said that emergency personnel are still working on the scene and will hand it over to the police for further investigation.
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