By Charmaine Ndlela
Twenty-two-year-old Ayanda Dludla was charged on Thursday in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court with 14 counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder after the scholar transport vehicle he was driving crashed on Monday, killing and injuring multiple schoolchildren.
Dludla was also charged with driving without a valid driver’s licence, operating a scholar transport vehicle without the required permit, and failing to possess a Professional Driving Permit (PDP).
He told the court he would not be applying for bail.
Two learners who were being transported by Dludla died of their injuries on Thursday morning, bringing the death toll to 14.
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Dludla told the court he does not have a lawyer and intends to apply for legal representation through Legal Aid.
Dashcam footage from the truck involved in the collision shows the Toyota Quantum scholar transport vehicle was not travelling in its designated lane, and Dludla allegedly swerved into the truck’s path, resulting in the collision.
Preliminary reports also indicate the scholar transport vehicle was overloaded, carrying 18 passengers instead of the permitted 14.
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One learner has since been discharged from hospital.
Dludla will appear in court again on 5 March.
This is a developing story.
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