Sibusiso Siyaya, the driver of a truck that was involved in an accident with a bakkie ferrying children from school in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal a week ago has abandoned his bail application.
Siyaya appeared briefly at the Pongola magistrate’s court on Monday and the case was postponed to October 25. According to media reports, Siyaya abandoned his bail application for fear that his life could be in danger if released.
The accident claimed the lives of 18 school children and two adults on September 16. Siyaya is said to have fled the scene soon after the crash, but handed himself over to the police a day later.
Among the deceased were three siblings, of which two were seven-year-old twins.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has since said his department is working on removing trucks from the roads. He told the media last week that Siyaya overtook another truck and drove in the wrong lane for about 1.5 kilometres before crashing onto the bakkie.
Last week, the Road Freight Association (RFA) called for urgent action in the freight and logistics industry following the recent spate of truck accidents.
In a statement on Friday, RFA CEO Gavin Kelly said the rate of truck accidents stems from highly contentious traffic policing and management services.
Kelly said the RAF previously raised these issues with the administrative adjudication of road traffic offences, but its calls fell on deaf ears.
“One of the reasons why some road freight operators are not members of the RFA is because they do not wish to comply with the core code of the RFA. The transport minister must use independent-registered freight associations to assist in this matter,” he said.
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