Five primary school children have died in Mitchells Plain on the Cape Flats after they were flung from the bakkie in which they were being transported to school. Police say two more children, aged six and 15 were transported to hospital for treatment.
Police have registered a case of culpable homicide.
It took authorities several hours to clear the scene at AZ Berman Drive at which the five young lives were lost. Transport authorities say the driver of the bakkie lost control of the vehicle, after which it overturned.
They have also confirmed that the bakkie was not registered as a scholar transport and that the driver did not possess the necessary permit to transport passengers. The public has been cautioned about posting accident scenes such as this one on social media.
This, as some parents were exposed to graphic visuals before they were informed of the crash and their children’s passing.
“The incident that happened; if I can just clarify one or two things, the bus that circulated on Facebook, the Golden Arrow bus was not involved in the accident, the taxi was not involved in the accident. What we know so far is that the driver lost control of the vehicle, children subsequently due to the bakkie overturned flew out of the bakkie and landed close to the bus and under the taxi. They were not involved in the accident itself they were in the vicinity,” says Ricardo Mckenzie, Western Cape Minister for Mobility.
Members of the community say they are traumatised as this is not the first fatal crash involving children in the area. They’ve appealed to authorities to be proactive in preventing unauthorised vehicles from transporting learners.
“It can’t be what it is it’s children laying there, it could have been my kids, it could have been your kids, it could have been anybody’s children who lay there eight o’clock lifeless. They were on their way to school, they were chatting to each other on the way, they never knew it was going to be their last day,” A Community Member says.
Education authorities say the victims were learners at primary schools in the Mitchells Plain area. Western Cape Minister for Education, David Maynier says affected families are receiving trauma counselling.
“We have spent time with some of the parents this morning and they are obviously angry and distraught and our role now is to provide all the support we can to the parents, to the schools and the school communities which is what we are doing. We are deploying support teams to the schools to ensure that they are properly supported during this terrible time,” says Maynier.
Police say the victims were aged between seven and 11-years-old. The 55-year-old driver has been arrested on a charge of culpable homicide. He is due to appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court once charged.
