Scholar transport owner’s family survives the tragic Vaal crash that left 14 learners dead

Mapaballo Borotho

Only the driver and his sibling, both children of the transport owner, survived the Vanderbijlpark crash that killed 14 schoolchildren, sparking outrage and painful questions.
The driver now faces 14 counts of murder and reckless driving, while families bury their children and two learners remain in critical condition.
As grief turns to anger, communities are demanding answers and justice.

Only two people escaped unscathed in the horrific Vanderbijlpark accident on Monday, 19 January 2026: the driver of the scholar transport, Ayanda Dludla (22), and his sibling.

The two survivors are the children of Jimmy Vinger, the owner of the school transport that claimed the lives of 14 school kids on that fateful day.

Vinger’s two other daughters, who travel in the same scholar transport, did not go to school on that day. One of them was reportedly suspended in the first week of the 2026 academic year, while the other decided to stay at home, sparing four of his children’s lives.

These details have left the public outraged and confused. How could 14 innocent children die while the owner’s children survive?

Jimmy Vinger, a pastor at the African Immanuel Assemblies of God Church and deputy chair of the Gauteng Education Transport Services, told the media that the accident has shattered him.

He says he has been haunted by grief and has been indoors ever since the day of the accident. However, he’s been receiving a lot of support and comfort from his neighbours, because they know he’s a man of God and his only purpose is to help those in need.

Vinger revealed that he had recently rekindled his relationship with his son, Ayanda, and gave him the vehicle to drive as a way to rebuild their bond.

Dludla remains in custody after abandoning his bail application and faces 14 counts of murder and reckless driving.

Ten of the children who died were buried this past weekend, while two others remain in critical condition in hospital.

As grief turns to anger, communities continue to demand answers and justice, saying that sorrow alone cannot explain this shocking tragedy.