‘We trusted the transport’: Family mourns two children lost in Vanderbijlpark crash

‘We trusted the transport’: Family mourns two children lost in Vanderbijlpark crash

The heartbreak in Sebokeng is almost too heavy to bear. Lesego Sefatsa, 7, and Phehello Motaung, 18, were among the 12 children tragically killed when a scholar transport minibus crashed on the R533 in Vanderbijlpark on Monday.

Speaking to IOL News, family spokesperson Nomthetheleli Dys described a grief that felt unbearable. Both children had been using the same transport service for a full year, traveling safely to their respective schools – Oakwood Primary for Lesego and El Shaddai Independent School for Phehello.

“We didn’t know whether the vehicle was roadworthy or not. We just arranged the transport, and the children were getting to school and coming back home safely,” Dys said.

The family paid R950 per child for the daily commute, trusting that the service would get their children safely to school. Now, that trust has been shattered.

Remembering Lesego and Phehello

Dys painted vivid pictures of the children they lost. Lesego, a young, disciplined, and helpful Grade 2 learner, dreamed of becoming a pilot. Phehello, a committed church member and Grade 11 pupil, had plans to study law.

“They were loving and bubbly. You could send them to do something, and they would do it… We are devastated that their dreams will never be fulfilled,” Dys said, her voice trembling.

Their deaths are not just numbers. They represent lost potential, silenced laughter, and futures that will never be realized.

Details emerge about the crash

At a media briefing on Tuesday, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi confirmed that the minibus driver, 22, was operating with an expired Professional Driving Permit (PDP), which had lapsed in November 2025.

Three vehicles were involved in the collision, including the scholar transport minibus and a truck. While the truck drivers were treated and released, the minibus driver was hospitalized briefly and later arrested.

“The taxi driver has been arrested and is expected to appear in court soon,” Lesufi said, noting that the driver faces 12 counts of culpable homicide, along with reckless and negligent driving charges.

Five injured learners were admitted to Sebokeng Hospital and two to Kopanong Hospital, with some initially in intensive care.

A family’s grief compounded

For the Sefatsa-Motaung family, learning that the driver’s permit had expired only deepened their sorrow.

“We were deeply hurt and even blamed ourselves for putting our children in that vehicle… No one came here to comfort us. Only the premier and the minister came,” Dys said.

The family’s pain is magnified by the fact that the driver never reached out, leaving them feeling abandoned by the very person entrusted with their children’s safety.

“We still have other children who are going to school, and we had hoped to put them in the same transport because he had been transporting our children since last year… It is really painful,” Dys said.

Officials respond

Lesufi emphasized that all 12 pupils have been formally identified, and authorities are mobilizing psychosocial support for families and fellow learners.

“The loss of life is deeply painful. We are mobilising all available support to assist affected families and learners,” Lesufi said.

As the investigation continues, Sebokeng families, the Gauteng Department of Education, and emergency services are grappling with the devastating reality that trust, once broken, leaves scars that extend far beyond the scene of the crash.

{Source: IOL}

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