By Staff Reporter
VANDERBIJLPARK – In a heartbreaking and almost unbelievable twist of fate, all four children of the owner of the minibus taxi involved in the deadly Vanderbijlpark scholar transport crash survived the tragedy that claimed the lives of 14 school pupils earlier this week.
According to reports, the minibus taxi was owned by Jimmy Vinger. His 22-year-old son, Ayanda Dludla, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash, and Vinger’s schoolgoing daughter, who was a passenger, were the only two occupants inside the taxi who survived the collision.
Tragically, 14 learners who were travelling in the minibus lost their lives when it collided with a truck along the Golden Highway on Monday.
Vinger’s two younger daughters, who usually commute using the same taxi, were not on board that day. One had reportedly been suspended from school, while the other chose to stay at home, a decision that ultimately spared their lives.
Vinger recounted receiving a distressing call from his son moments after the crash. Still reeling from shock, he said he then had the painful task of informing the parents of the children who were passengers in the taxi about the accident through a WhatsApp voice note.
The tragedy has left families and the broader Vaal community devastated, raising renewed concerns about scholar transport safety and the emotional toll borne by those directly and indirectly affected by the disaster.
All 14 learners were laid to rest over the weekend in Sobokeng and in other provinces.
