Parents outraged as accused in deadly Vanderbijlpark crash granted bail

Grieving parents have reacted with anger and frustration after the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court granted Ayanda Dludla, the driver accused of killing 14 pupils in a head-on collision, bail of R3,000.

The 22-year-old appeared in court on Wednesday for judgment on his bail application following the fatal crash on the R553 Golden Highway on January 19.

Dludla faces 14 counts of murder in connection with the collision between the scholar transport vehicle and a tipper truck.

In granting bail, Magistrate Phumeza Ngindo said Dludla was unlikely to evade trial, was not considered a flight risk and did not pose a danger to society.

The court also agreed with the defence’s argument that Dludla is a slow learner, with the magistrate saying he lacked the capacity to act in the spur of the moment.

However, the ruling has left some of the victims’ parents deeply upset.

One parent questioned how Dludla was able to obtain a driver’s licence if he was not considered capable of making certain decisions.

“How did he get the licence if he was not well? And where is the proof that he was not well? The licence department must answer.”

Another parent accused the court of being biased and questioned whether someone described as a slow learner should have been entrusted with transporting schoolchildren.

The parents’ anger comes after the crash claimed the lives of 14 pupils, leaving families to deal with the devastating loss of their children.