Tragedy struck when twelve learners and their scholar transport driver died in a tragic accident which involved a Ford Ranger bakkie, causing the students’ mini bus to overturn and explode. This took place in the Municipal area of the Merafong City Municipal region on Gauteng’s West Rand on Wednesday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed “deep” sadness over the death of 12 learners from Rocklands Primary School and Laerskool Blyvooruitsig in Carletonville. “The loss of such young lives at the start of a new school term touches all of us as a nation,” said Ramaphosa. “We wish the affected families and school communities the best as they mourn the passing of children who have been deprived of fulfilling their potential and spending their lives with families and friends.” The learners died in the Merafong City Municipal area on Gauteng’s West Rand on Wednesday. Ramaphosa sent condolences to the families, friends, fellow learners and educators of the deceased children. The president also wished a speedy and full recovery to the seven learners who suffered injuries in the incident which involved a scholar transport vehicle and a Ford Ranger bakkie.
There are no words that can describe the loss of these Matric learners. The incident that took their lives should be thoroughly investigated. The president may not have the answers as to how accidents such as this occur on the roads but he has a responsibility to ensure there is a full investigation. Ramaphosa may be able to express grief but he and the provincial government of Gauteng will have their work cut out for them launching a legal and safety investigation into the cause of the accident. How could a Ford Ranger bakkie be travelling in the same lane of a road as a Mini- Bus? How did the land rover capsize the mini-bus? Did the police track down the driver of the Land Rover? The president and government officials both national and provincial will have to convey more than condolences to the friends and families of the victims. Only a thorough police investigation will reveal the truth.
“This tragedy, which regretfully is not the first of its kind to confront us, demands that that we exercise our obligation to protect our children with the utmost care,” he said. IOL reported on Wednesday that Gauteng MEC of Education, Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation, Matome Chiloane urged parents to check the condition of the scholar transport used by their children, following the crash. The learners, 11 from Rocklands Primary School and one from Laerskool Blyvooruitsig in Carletonville were involved in the collision. Seven other learners are receiving urgent medical treatment. “This transport is the agreement between parents and the transport provider, and what I always urge parents to do is that, we must look at the conditions the vehicle is transporting your children, the number of children that have taken this private particular transport,” Chiloane told the media.
It is not just parents that need to look into what transport is being provided to the students but the school as well. The provincial Education department also has a role to play. It is the duty of all three parties Parents/Guardians, school and education department at provincial level to check the appropriateness of the transport. Collisions on the road are a worrisome concern and may occur due to heavy traffic. The department of transport needs to look into creating more efficient ways to curb heavy traffic on the roads. But of course, the accident could be narrowed down to the actions of the Land Rover’s driver. His choice to switch a lane led to the collision of his vehicle with the mini bus. There is no telling who will be blamed for the crash as parents will still demand justice.
The incident took place in a rural area, where the network of roads is not well managed.
The private school transport vehicle carrying the children is believed to have been struck from behind by another vehicle at around 6.45 am. The collision caused the school transporter to overturn. The vehicle allegedly caught fire. Unfortunately, the driver of the school transport vehicle was also killed in the accident. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, while seven other learners are in hospital receiving medical attention. “I am profoundly saddened by this tragic event. The loss of our children is a devastating blow to our community, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased and injured learners,” stated GDE MEC Matome Chiloane. Chiloane and his colleagues will be visiting the schools, which are located a few blocs from one another, as well as the families to offer the services of their support teams.
The unfortunate deaths of the children in the road accident can be attributed to bad road driving. It goes to show that poor driving skills can be a matter of life and death on the roads. The police will investigate the circumstances leading up to the crash. The driver of the land rover should be questioned concerning how he had been switching lanes. Should he face arrest for causing the accident? What charges will be pressed against his person? These are questions that need to be answered. The damage done will resonate with the families for the rest of their lives. The survivors of these casualties will also be scarred for life. It is unlikely they will be able to recover from the emotional scars, never be able to trust public or even private transport again.
Government officials from the president to the Gauteng MEC for Education can offer their condolences and warnings. But it will all boil down to how cautious it can be to avoid such tragedy and death on the roads.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
