The courtroom was silent, but outside the pain was loud. This was the scene as grieving families waited for answers regarding the criminal case against 22-year-old minibus taxi driver Ayanda Dludla.
Dludla was the driver of the scholar transport taxi involved in a horrific crash in the Vaal that resulted in the deaths of 14 schoolchildren.
Wearing jeans and a white golf T-shirt, Dludla made a brief appearance before a packed Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, where prosecutors revealed that the charges against him have been amended.
What began as a case of culpable homicide has now been amended to include 14 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and three additional charges for contravening the Road Traffic Act.
After abandoning his bail application, Magistrate Claudia Venter postponed the case to March 5.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the decision followed a detailed assessment of the evidence contained in the police docket.
“It is now 14 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and three other charges of contravening the traffic act,” she said.
Mahanjana explained that the attempted murder charges relate to children who survived the crash and are still receiving treatment in the hospital.
She added that the prolonged postponement was necessary to allow the state to complete its investigation, including obtaining witness statements and postmortem reports.
Taxi owners asked to take responsibility
Outside court, emotions ran high as families of the victims spoke of their loss and frustration.
Themba Radebe, the uncle of the late Buhle Radebe, a Grade 11 learner, said the tragedy shattered more than one household.
“We are not the only ones who lost a child, but 13 other families did too,” Radebe said.
He called on taxi drivers and vehicle owners to take responsibility for road safety and compliance.
“After seeing the video, I broke down because it’s not only about my niece. Talking will never bring every soul back, but to taxi drivers and owners, please do some introspection,” he said.
Radebe said the court’s decision to postpone the case did little to ease the families’ pain.
“The fact is that we lost our children; having them back would heal us, but they will not be back. We are just hopeful that justice will be served.”
During the proceedings, Dludla’s legal representative, Cathna de Klerk, informed the court that her client was abandoning his application for bail.
