The Zone 5 community of Pimville held a prayer session for scholar transport safety on the corner of Modjaji and Morobadilepe streets on January 22.

This session followed a series of recent scholar transport road accidents.

Zama Shinga, mother to a 12-year-old learner and organiser of the session, said parents felt compelled to gather and pray for their children’s safety after the accident that claimed 14 learners’ lives in Vanderbijlpark on January 19.

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“I was at home when I heard about the accident. The first thing that came to mind was my child, as the transport had just collected her. When I saw children’s bodies lying there and parents crying, I panicked and checked if my child had arrived safely at school,” she said.

Shinga added that parents also bear responsibility for their children’s safety, noting that many fail to inspect vehicles and drivers.

“Parents cannot prioritise saving money at the cost of their children’s lives. As a parent, how do you allow your child to get into a vehicle that is basically scrap?” she asked.

Pastor Thato Mofokeng, a resident of the area, called for collective accountability.

Speaking at the gathering, he warned that the scholar transport crisis is not an isolated incident but part of a long-standing problem that continues to traumatise families.

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He stressed that accountability must extend beyond drivers to include vehicle owners, parents, law enforcement and the government, questioning how unroadworthy vehicles and unlicensed drivers can operate unchecked.

“There is no such thing as a minor incident when it involves children. Communities must stop normalising unsafe transport because of financial pressure,” he said.

Mofokeng also criticised corruption within traffic enforcement, calling for an end to bribery and stronger accountability. He urged parents to refuse unsafe transport options and appealed to authorities to act decisively.

Community activist Duduzile Mabona described the tragedy as a reflection of systemic failure.

“There is clearly no proper monitoring of scholar transport,” she said, questioning how a modified and unroadworthy vehicle, designed to carry far fewer passengers, was allowed to transport more than a dozen learners.

Mabona pointed to law enforcement failures and alleged bribery as contributing factors, warning that regulations are meaningless without enforcement.

While calling on the government to strengthen oversight, she said parents and communities also have a role to play by refusing to place children in overloaded or unsafe vehicles.

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She urged communities to organise, petition authorities and act collectively to prevent the further loss of young lives.

Nombulelo Mpongwana said she knows her grandchild’s transport driver but only recently verified his documentation, including his permit, driver’s licence, Professional Driving Permit and roadworthy certificate.

“I don’t know if we are ignorant or overtrust drivers, but we do not check these things. I became worried when I saw vehicles being stopped and did not know if the children would safely reach school,” she said.

She advised parents to inspect vehicles and ensure drivers have the necessary documentation.