A routine school run turned to terror in the early hours of Monday morning when a minibus taxi carrying 20 pupils veered off the KwaKgetha Bridge in KwaZulu-Natal, leaving all on board injured. The vehicle plunged several metres off the road, sparking a significant emergency response to rescue the scholars.
The taxi driver is currently the subject of a major police search after allegedly fleeing the scene of the accident. Authorities are working to determine the circumstances of his disappearance.
Authorities Condemn Alarming Trend of Crashes
The provincial Transport and Human Settlements MEC, Siboniso Duma, confirmed the distressing incident and revealed that this is not an isolated event. He expressed grave concern over a deeply worrying pattern emerging in the region.
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“Unfortunately, this is the third accident involving school learner transport in the Umgungundlovu District within four days,” Duma stated. “Four learners died on Thursday, while others remain in the hospital. This is completely unacceptable.”
The injured children, who attend Matomela High School, Luthando High School, and Sthunjwana Primary School, were swiftly transported to nearby medical facilities for treatment. They were admitted to both the Gomane Clinic and the Harry Gwala Regional Hospital for their injuries.
KZN Taxi Crash Leaves 20 School Pupils Injured
MEC Duma did not mince his words, pointing directly at the taxi association involved and calling for immediate intervention from its leadership to address the safety of scholar transport.
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He noted that “most of these accidents involve members of the taxi association,” and issued a direct plea to the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the province to take decisive action. To underline the severity of the national issue, Duma cited a stark statistic, revealing that
“The Automobile Association estimates 70,000 minibus taxi crashes annually, with taxis experiencing double the crash rate of other passenger vehicles.”