By Akani Nkuna

Gauteng MEC for Education Matome Chiloane has lashed out at the province’s scholar transport system, blaming regulatory failures and systemic shortcomings for the fatal crash that claimed the lives of 14 learners in Vanderbijlpark earlier this week.

“This tragedy did not occur in isolation. It occurred within a system — a scholar transport system that has for too long operated in the shadows,” Chiloane said.
“A system with inadequate oversight, insufficient regulation and no meaningful accountability failed these 14 children. It failed these 14 families, and it must change.”

He warned scholar transport operators that the province would no longer tolerate negligence.

“To scholar transport operators across Gauteng, hear me clearly today: the era of recklessness is over,” he said.

Chiloane was speaking at a memorial service held at Saul Tsotetsi Sports Ground in Sebokeng, where mourners gathered amid heavy grief and visible anguish following the tragedy that has shaken the Vanderbijlpark community and the country at large.

The MEC urged the public to allow the law to take its course, while stressing that consequences must follow. He referred to the scholar transport driver, 22-year-old Ayanda Dludla, who has since abandoned his bail application following his first appearance at the Vaal Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 22 January.

“There must be accountability. The blood of these 14 children cries out for justice — and justice they will have,” Chiloane said.

He announced plans for stringent reforms to regulate scholar transport through a three-pronged partnership involving parents, schools and transport operators. Under the proposed framework, operators will undergo rigorous vetting, including roadworthiness inspections and psychological assessments of drivers.

“Our schools will not accept learners transported by private scholar transport unless there are signed contracts between parents, the operator and the school. All three parties must take full responsibility,” he added.

Bereaved families, still grappling with shock and trauma, found the strength to address the congregation of community members, government officials, church leaders and fellow learners. Many spoke of shattered dreams and young lives cut short before they could leave their mark on the world.

Thato Moetji, a Grade 12 learner at Hoërskool Vanderbijlpark who succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, 22 January, was remembered as disciplined, gentle and deeply principled.

“It saddens us that today we mourn a soul taken too soon,” said her relative, Boitumelo.

“She lived with kindness, humanity and faith, touching everyone she met. Pure in heart and disciplined in her life — she was an angel among us.”

An aunt of Lindokuhle Mabasa, a Grade 5 learner at Noordhoek Primary School, said the family was struggling to come to terms with the loss of a child known for her curiosity and love of learning.

“We have suffered a great loss as a family. We had high hopes that Lindokuhle would grow into an exceptional, educated young woman. Even at her tender age, she showed a passion for education,” she said.

The father of Ofentse Jayden Vinger, who had just begun his schooling journey in Grade 1 at Oliver Lodge Primary School, reflected on the pain of a life cut tragically short.

“I had my son outside of marriage, and circumstances meant we lived apart, but we had a good relationship,” he said.

“As young people, we must respect cultural values and listen to our parents. It pains me deeply that my boy is no more. We did not have much time together in this lifetime.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Charmaine Ndlela

A memorial service for the 14 learners killed in Monday’s Vanderbijlpark crash will be held at 11am on Friday at Sebokeng Hall, ahead of a joint funeral service on Sunday at Saul Tsotetsi Sports Ground in Sebokeng.

The learners died on Monday when the minibus taxi they were travelling in collided with a truck. Twelve learners died at the scene, while two succumbed to their injuries on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday, the Department of Education released the names of the deceased learners, who were pupils from several schools across the Vaal area:

Hoërskool Vanderbijlpark

Bokamoso Mokhobo (Grade 8)

Sibongile Madonsela (Grade 10)

Thato Moetji (Grade 12)

Sagwadi Mathe (Grade 12)

Vaal High School

Leano Moiloa (Grade 8)

El-Shaddai Christian School

Pheello Motaung (Grade 11)

Puleng Maphalla (Grade 11)

Naledi Motsapi (Grade 10)

Bohlale Lekekela (Grade 1)

Vanderbijlpark

Buhle Radebe (Grade 11)

Primary schools

Lesego Sefatsa (Grade 2), Oakwood Primary School

Letlotlo Katlego Makwe (Grade 2), Vaal Triangle Primary School

Ofentse Jayden Vinger (Grade 1), Oliver Lodge Primary School

Lindokuhle Mabaso (Grade 5), Noordhoek Primary School

The driver of the scholar transport taxi, 22-year-old Ayanda Dludla, appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. Dludla has been charged with 14 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and charges including reckless and negligent driving, among other charges.

Investigations are ongoing.

Dludla remains in custody and is expected back in court on 5 March.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Dr. Gladys West, the mathematician whose work laid the foundation for modern GPS technology, has died at the age of 95. She passed away on January 17, 2026, reportedly surrounded by family at her home in Alexandria, Virginia.

West’s contributions underpin a technology now embedded in global commerce, aviation, emergency response, and everyday navigation, though her role went largely unrecognized until late in her life.

Born Gladys Mae Brown on October 27, 1930, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, she grew up on a small family farm in a largely sharecropping community. Determined to chart a different path, she graduated at the top of her high school class and earned a scholarship to Virginia State College (now Virginia State University), where she completed both a bachelor’s and later a master’s degree in mathematics

After a brief period teaching, West joined the US Naval Proving Ground (later the Naval Surface Warfare Center) in Dahlgren, Virginia, in 1956, becoming only the second Black woman hired as a programmer at the base and one of just four Black employees overall. She would remain at Dahlgren for 42 years, retiring in 1998.

From the 1960s through the 1980s, West worked on complex mathematical models of the Earth’s shape using satellite data, a foundation for turning orbital measurements into precise location information. She programmed early high‑performance computers, including the IBM 7030 “Stretch,” to refine geodetic Earth models that later became a core building block of the Global Positioning System used in phones, cars, aircraft, and critical infrastructure worldwide.

In the late 1970s she served as project manager for Seasat radar altimetry data at Dahlgren, supporting the first satellite designed to remotely sense Earth’s oceans. West also contributed to an early‑1960s study on planetary motion and received formal commendations from the Navy for her technical work.

While advancing technically, West continued her education, earning a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Oklahoma via distance learning. After retiring at 68, she set her sights on a doctorate. A stroke temporarily derailed those plans, affecting her hearing, vision, balance, and mobility, but she persisted, completing her doctorate in 2000 at age 70.

Despite the scale of her impact, West’s contributions remained largely unrecognized for decades, even as her white colleagues were more visibly celebrated. In 2018, a brief biography she submitted for an event hosted by her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, helped spark viral interest in her story and a wave of honors.

She was inducted into the US Air Force Space and Missiles Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2018, named Female Alumna of the Year at the HBCU Awards, listed in the BBC’s 100 Women of 2018, and received the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Prince Philip Medal in 2021. The Virginia Senate also passed a resolution commending her “trailblazing career in mathematics and vital contributions to modern technology.”

West often spoke about working under segregation and Jim Crow, supporting the Civil Rights Movement while being unable to protest publicly as a federal employee. She later noted that white co‑workers frequently received recognition and opportunities she did not, even as her calculations quietly reshaped global navigation.

In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, she admitted that she still preferred paper maps to digital navigation, even her life’s work now underpins the way billions of people move through the world.

By Thapelo Molefe

South Africa’s post-school education system is under unprecedented strain following a record 650,000 matric passes, exposing what Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela has said is a widening gap between success in basic education and limited space at universities.

Briefing the media on the state of readiness for the 2026 academic year on Thursday, Manamela acknowledged mounting anxiety among parents and learners locked in admission limbo, but rejected claims that the system is in crisis. 

ALSO READ: Ayanda Dludla charged with 14 counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder for Vanderbijlpark scholar transport

Instead, he warned that an entrenched “university-only” mindset is deepening frustration and distorting public debate about access.

“The narrative that the only option after matric is university is creating a sense of crisis,” Manamela said.

The post-school education and training (PSET) system currently has about 535,000 planned and funded spaces across universities, TVET colleges, community colleges, skills programmes and workplace-based learning. 

While this leaves thousands of qualified learners without a university place, Manamela said enrolment targets are deliberately planned to align with economic demand rather than popular pressure.

“We should not fall into the trap of wanting to train 1,000 lawyers just because there is demand,” he said, adding that such thinking amounted to “populism” rather than rational planning.

ALSO READ: Milnerton assault case postponed for victim consultation

He stressed that a Bachelor’s pass does not guarantee admission to a university or to a specific programme, and that high-demand fields such as law, engineering and health sciences are constrained not only by space but by subject preparation, particularly in mathematics and science.

The surge in matric passes, while welcomed as an achievement, has intensified pressure on universities and accommodation systems, with some communities attempting to influence admissions and employment at nearby institutions.

Manamela said this was destabilising and unfair, urging institutions to engage communities without compromising national admission policies.

To manage the pressure, the department is strengthening alternative pathways, including TVET colleges, community colleges, short courses and occupational programmes that allow faster entry into the labour market. 

Manamela insisted that TVETs are “not residual options” but a central pillar of the system, particularly in addressing unemployment and skills shortages.

He said Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) would play a critical role in this shift, confirming that new SETA chairpersons have been appointed and that the department will engage boards and executives to ensure their work aligns with national priorities.

Manamela said SETAs must not only support young people who are not in employment, education or training, but also actively fill skills gaps and strengthen pathways that transition learners into work.

ALSO READ: Universities hold the key to early learning turnaround, Manamela tells Lekgotla

Government is also pushing digital expansion to ease capacity constraints, with increased investment in online learning, modular qualifications and workplace-based learning supported through the National Skills Fund.

On student funding, Manamela confirmed that NSFAS will fund about one million students in 2026, including first-time entrants and continuing students who meet progression requirements. 

Cabinet has also approved consultations on a new sustainable student funding model, aimed at reducing exclusions without dismantling NSFAS.

“Our system is under pressure, yes,” Manamela said. “But it is not in crisis. It is being reshaped.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Levy Masiteng 

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has dispatched a team of dam safety engineers to the Senteeko Dam, in the Mbombela Local Municipality, Mpumalanga, to conduct an urgent technical assessment and monitor reported structural damage.

An evacuation alert has been issued for communities downstream of the dam.

The DWS confirmed that the dam, with a storage capacity of 1.8 million m³, is at risk of failure.

ALSO READ: Manamela urges shift from university-only mindset 

Authorities have warned that an imminent dam wall failure could potentially release the water into the Suidkaap area, posing serious risks to lives, property, and infrastructure.

Mpumalanga has been hit by persistent heavy rainfall and flooding in January, with authorities issuing repeated flood alerts and reporting damage to infrastructure and disruption to communities in parts of the province.

The DWS said areas most likely to be affected include communities in close proximity to the dam, particularly the Barberton Valley.

“Relevant communications, warnings, and evacuation processes are being implemented by the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of communities living downstream of the dam,” said DWS spokesperson Wisane Mavasa.

ALSO READ: Milnerton assault case postponed for victim consultation

To mitigate the risk, the owner of the dam is expected to start supervised excavations of a side-channel spillway.

This aims to lower the water level in the dam, reducing undercutting of the spillway channel and preventing catastrophic failure, according to the department. 

“Our assessments indicate that undercutting of the spillway channel is continuing, which poses a threat to the stability of the dam,” Mavasa said. 

“However, there is currently no overtopping of the dam wall, and no excessive seepage has been observed on the earthfill embankment.”

Wisani said that while inflows from Die Kaap River have made it difficult to significantly lower water levels, river flow observations showed a decrease since Monday. 

The Senteeko Dam, officially registered as My Own Dam, is a privately owned, 26-metre-high earthfill embankment dam with a concrete spillway, which is owned by the Shamile Communal Property Association (CPA). 

The dam is primarily used for irrigation purposes.

ALSO READ: Universities hold the key to early learning turnaround, Manamela tells Lekgotla

Mavasa said that the dam’s safety remains a national priority and has told communities to comply with evacuation instructions, avoid low-water bridges, and stay away from rivers and flood-prone areas.

“We also urge members of the public to share verified information responsibly and to follow guidance issued by authorities on the ground.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Charmaine Ndlela

Twenty-two-year-old Ayanda Dludla was charged on Thursday in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court with 14 counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder after the scholar transport vehicle he was driving crashed on Monday, killing and injuring multiple schoolchildren.

Dludla was also charged with driving without a valid driver’s licence, operating a scholar transport vehicle without the required permit, and failing to possess a Professional Driving Permit (PDP).

He told the court he would not be applying for bail.

Two learners who were being transported by Dludla died of their injuries on Thursday morning, bringing the death toll to 14.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Dashcam footage of Vanderbijlpark scholar crash

Dludla told the court he does not have a lawyer and intends to apply for legal representation through Legal Aid.

Dashcam footage from the truck involved in the collision shows the Toyota Quantum scholar transport vehicle was not travelling in its designated lane, and Dludla allegedly swerved into the truck’s path, resulting in the collision.

Preliminary reports also indicate the scholar transport vehicle was overloaded, carrying 18 passengers instead of the permitted 14.

ALSO READ: Milnerton assault case postponed for victim consultation

One learner has since been discharged from hospital.

Dludla will appear in court again on 5 March.

This is a developing story.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

A chilling clip, now circulating widely online, shows what many social media users are calling clear negligence and reckless driving by the minibus taxi driver involved in a crash that killed a dozen schoolchildren near Vanderbijlpark, south of Johannesburg.

The release of this footage comes a day before the driver is expected to face the court on Thursday.

The driver of the scholar transport minibus involved in the crash is expected to appear in court on Thursday, according to police.  

The 22-year-old man was arrested after being discharged from hospital and will face twelve counts of culpable homicide, as well as charges of reckless and negligent driving, Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said.

ALSO READ: Milnerton assault case postponed for victim consultation

The crash occurred on Monday morning, when the privately operated minibus transporting pupils to multiple schools collided head-on with a truck on the Fred Droste Road, near the N1 highway.  

Officials initially reported varying death tolls in the immediate aftermath, with some early accounts putting the number of children killed at 11 or 13, before provincial authorities said 12 pupils died at the scene, and five were taken to hospital, one of whom was later discharged.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said on Tuesday that preliminary findings indicated the driver’s professional driving permit (PDP) to operate a minibus had expired. Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said the driver had previously been reprimanded for reckless driving.

INSIDE EDUCATION