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Twelve schoolchildren were killed on Monday when a minibus carrying students collided with a truck south of Johannesburg, police said.
The crash occurred near Vanderbijlpark, an industrial city about 60 kilometres south of Johannesburg. Police indicated the minibus driver appeared to have lost control while attempting to overtake other vehicles.
Eleven pupils were killed at the scene, and another died in hospital, Gauteng provincial education minister Matome Chiloane told reporters. He added that the victims included both primary and high school students, though he did not specify their ages.
Images circulating on social media showed the mangled minibus on the roadside, with grieving parents gathered behind police tape.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi described the scene as “terrible.”
According to the transport ministry, the country has recorded more than 11,400 road fatalities in 2025, with accidents often linked to speeding, reckless driving, and poorly maintained vehicles.
Parents frequently rely on private minibuses to transport children to school, a system that has previously been marred by fatal incidents.
In October, 18 children were injured when a minibus overturned in KwaZulu-Natal, while at least five pupils were killed in September when another minibus crashed into a creche in the same province.
