Lentswe, Vanderbijlpark - The tragic loss of 12 learners in a horrific Gauteng taxi accident has drawn sharp condemnation from Parliament, with Makhi Feni, Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries, unequivocally labelling the incident as “pure criminality”. The statement follows the emergence of dash-cam footage revealing the reckless driving that led to the fatalities.
The shocking video, now circulating on social media, depicts a 14-seater minibus taxi attempting to overtake numerous vehicles on a narrow two-way road.
In a desperate and ill-fated manoeuvre to avoid an oncoming vehicle, the driver veered off the road, resulting in a devastating collision that killed 12 learners on board.
“What is being shown on social media is pure criminality and no amount of punishment will be sufficient enough to rehabilitate the driver or hold him accountable,” Feni stated, expressing the committee’s deep and heartfelt condolences to the grieving families. He further highlighted a pervasive issue: “What that driver did is the kind of driving our people are subjected to daily by taxi drivers.”
Feni did not mince words regarding the broader context of taxi operations, criticizing the apparent lack of accountability within the industry. “It is unfortunate that it is this kind of hot heads that are responsible for the transportation of our people daily. And it is unfortunate that there is nothing the taxi associations could do as they hardly ever reflect or take accountability.”
The parliamentary chairperson urged law enforcement agencies to ensure the driver is held fully accountable, even suggesting a potential lifetime ban from South Africa’s roads. This call for decisive action is amplified by revelations from the Gauteng Education MEC, who confirmed that the driver’s problematic behaviour had been previously reported.
“It seems nothing will make taxi drivers change their behaviour and make them respect traffic laws,” Feni lamented, advocating for increased powers for the police to tackle such dangerous conduct. “The road network is a shared service which demands that drivers respect other road users.”
