Vaal crash driver Ayanda Dludla granted R3,000 bail

By Charmaine Ndlela

Ayanda Dludla, the driver accused of causing a crash that killed 14 schoolchildren in the Vaal in January, has been granted R3,000 bail by the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court.

Dludla, 22, faces 14 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and a charge of reckless and negligent driving following the crash involving the scholar transport minibus he was driving and a tipper truck on the R553 near Vanderbijlpark.

He also faces charges of 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).

Presiding Magistrate Phumeza Ngindo ruled that Dludla was not a flight risk, was unlikely to evade trial and did not pose a danger to society.

During the bail proceedings, the court heard that Dludla is a slow learner and had spent about eight months in custody.

The court also heard