A morning trip to school turned into a frightening ordeal when a minibus transporting learners crashed on the N4 in Tshwane, Gauteng, leaving 17 pupils injured. The accident occurred on Monday, 16 February 2026, after the driver allegedly attempted to evade traffic officials.
According to Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, the Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, the incident happened at approximately 7am on the eastbound carriageway near Atteridgeville in Pretoria. The pupils were travelling in a 9-seater Toyota Condor when the vehicle collided with a Mercedes-Benz.
Preliminary reports indicate that the driver diverted onto an old dirt road in an attempt to avoid law enforcement officials. After re-entering the highway, the minibus crashed into the other vehicle. Authorities have further alleged that the driver did not possess a valid driver’s licence at the time of the accident.
Emergency medical services responded swiftly to the scene. The injured children were assessed and stabilised before being transported to nearby hospitals. Officials confirmed that the pupils sustained injuries of varying severity, although no fatalities were reported.
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Diale-Tlabela expressed serious concern over the incident, emphasising the dangers posed by illegal and unroadworthy scholar transport operators. She called for intensified law enforcement operations across Gauteng to clamp down on non-compliant vehicles transporting learners. The MEC stressed that scholar transport operators carry a significant responsibility to ensure the safety of the children entrusted to them and warned that lawlessness on the province’s roads would not be tolerated.
The crash has once again placed the spotlight on scholar transport safety in South Africa, as similar incidents have been reported in recent weeks.
In Reservoir Hills, west of Durban, traffic was brought to a standstill after a bus carrying passengers, including schoolchildren, overturned and injured up to 20 people. Emergency teams closed the roadway to treat the injured before transporting them to hospital, while private ambulance services managed the scene.
Earlier in January, another frightening incident unfolded in Lenasia South, Gauteng, when a minibus carrying learners caught fire while en route to school. Community members rushed to assist, removing school bags from the burning vehicle and attempting to extinguish the flames.
Tragedy also struck near Vanderbijlpark along the Golden Highway between Bophelong and Sebokeng, where a collision between a minibus taxi and a truck resulted in the deaths of several schoolchildren. As rescue operations continued, the death toll rose, sending shockwaves through communities in the Vaal.
In a separate incident in Pinetown near Sarnia School, nine children were injured after a scholar transport vehicle reportedly lost control and crashed into a tree. The children were stabilised at the scene before being taken to various hospitals for further medical treatment.
These repeated accidents have heightened public concern over learner transport safety and regulatory enforcement. Authorities maintain that stricter compliance checks, valid licensing, and vehicle roadworthiness are essential to preventing further tragedies.
As investigations into the Tshwane crash continue, calls for accountability and stronger oversight grow louder, with officials reaffirming their commitment to protecting learners on South Africa’s roads.
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