The Western Cape Education Department is providing trauma counselling and support to the schools of the 5 learners, who died tragically, in a crash on AZ Berman Drive in Mitchell’s Plain yesterday. The 55-year-old driver of the bakkie, in which the learners had been travelling, has been arrested on charges of culpable homicide. The school kids were transported on the back of a bakkie when the driver allegedly crashed into a traffic light. Two other children were transported to hospital, of which, one has been discharged.
Trauma counselling and support to learners
The Education MEC David Maynier has expressed his distress, at the loss of the learners. Maynier continued, “Today is a sad day in this province. A tragic accident has taken the lives of five young learners. They are from Wespoort PS, Harvester PS, Ridgeville PS, Highlands PS, and Duneside PS.
READ MORE: Yesterday’s accident
Two learners are receiving medical treatment, from Ridgeville PS and Lentegeur HS. Western Cape Education Department counselling support teams are supporting the affected schools.”
Minister Maynier further said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and the school communities. This is an unimaginable tragedy. Our thoughts are also with the learners currently being treated in hospital.”
The Provincial Cape Education Department has in the meantime revealed that the scholar transport driver, involved in the accident, was not registered. The department says it was not a WCED learner transport vehicle. It has expressed its support for the police’s culpable homicide investigation.
Cape Town Police have confirmed that the 5 children were between the ages of 7 and 11 years old.
School kids receive trauma counselling
Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie said, “I am outraged by this accident involving a vehicle transporting learners illegally, resulting in these tragic and avoidable deaths.”
“How many more children must we lose on our roads before the transportation of these precious lives is taken seriously by those driving the vehicles? Anyone who is transporting passengers – especially children whose bodies are more vulnerable to injury – has the weighty responsibility to keep them safe.”
He added, “Vehicles must be roadworthy; drivers must be qualified and an operating licence is required to transport passengers. Cutting corners with any of these requirements and driving recklessly is a matter of life and death. My condolences and prayers go out to these parents who are now faced with the grief of losing a child, and those with children in the hospital.”
Youngsters need the support
He added, “Anyone wishing to report illegal or unsafe transport operators in the metro must please contact the City of Cape Town Traffic Department, for enforcement and possible impoundment if the vehicle is unsafe, overloaded or the driver is unqualified.”
“I have recently attended two community meetings in Mitchells Plain to address the issues around learner transport and ensure that operators are properly registered and licensed.”
MEC Mackenzie and MEC Maynier visited the scene of the accident. They also expressed their condolences to the parents of the children involved in the crash. They also received an update from officers at the Mitchells Plain Police Station.
Report suspicious behaviour
For information on operating licences for public transport, please contact the Provincial Regulatory Entity at 021 696 3213/14 or their Applications Helpline at 021 483 0270.
MORE ABOUT: Applying for a public operating licence
In a separate incident, Manenberg Police are investigating another culpable homicide case, after a 12-year-old girl was fatally injured in a vehicle accident, on the same morning. Captain FC van Wyk has asked members of the public to come forward with information about the incident.
