Gauteng Education MEC
By Lerato Mpembe
Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane has arrived in Daveyton, where he will be meeting the families of the four learners who died in a car accident in Ekurhuleni on Monday. The tragic crash happened on the N12 near the Putfontein Road off-ramp in Daveyton, claiming the lives of young pupils heading to school. As the community mourns, Chiloane’s visit aims to offer comfort and support to the grieving families, while the Gauteng Education Department steps in to help those affected cope with the loss.
A Heartbreaking Loss on the N12
The deadly accident took place on Monday morning, 10 March 2025, around 07:45, when a private scholar transport vehicle collided with a Toyota Hilux bakkie on the N12 westbound, just before the Putfontein Road off-ramp. One of the vehicles involved was carrying children to school, turning a routine trip into a tragedy that has left Ekurhuleni reeling.
Among the victims were two brothers – one in Grade 1 and the other in Grade 3 – from Tom Newby Primary School in Benoni. The siblings, Khethelwe Zulu and Hlompho Mofokeng, were described by their grandfather as bright and full of life, according to SowetanLIVE. Another victim, a Grade 1 boy named Lubanzi Nhlapo from Rynfield Primary School, also in Benoni, loved soccer and brought joy to his family, his uncle Bonnie Zitha told Benoni City Times. The fourth child, a Grade R boy named Kgosi Malatjie from Griffcats Tutor Centre, was just starting his school journey.
A Grade 3 girl from Rynfield Primary School survived the crash but is fighting for her life in hospital. Four other children were seriously injured and rushed for medical care, while the bakkie’s driver, a woman, was freed from the wreckage with the Jaws of Life and airlifted to a hospital in stable condition, said Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services spokesperson William Ntladi.
Chiloane’s Visit Brings Comfort
Today, MEC Matome Chiloane is in Daveyton to meet the heartbroken families. Gauteng Education Department spokesperson Steve Mabona confirmed the visit, saying, “The Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane will visit the families of the children who passed away in an accident that occurred on the N12 on the 10 March 2025.” The MEC, joined by Moipone Mhlongo, Chairperson of the Gauteng Legislature’s Education Portfolio Committee, started his day with the family of the Grade R learner from Griffcats Tutor Centre, as shared in a post on X by @EducationGP1.
Chiloane has expressed deep sorrow over the loss. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of these young learners whose lives were tragically cut short by this unfortunate incident,” he said in a statement on Monday. “Our thoughts are with the bereaved families, friends, and the school communities during this painful period.” His visit is part of a promise to stand by those affected, offering not just words but action through support services.
Support for Schools and Families
The Gauteng Education Department has wasted no time in responding. Mabona said pupils and teachers at Tom Newby Primary School and Rynfield Primary School are receiving psychosocial support from the department’s dedicated unit. “We’ve sent our team to help the kids and staff deal with this terrible shock,” he told POWER 98.7. The unit is providing counselling to ease the pain and trauma felt across the school communities.
At the crash scene on Monday, family members were overcome with grief. Schoolbags and shoes lay scattered on the blood-stained road as parents wept, some fainting from the shock, reported SowetanLIVE. One mother sat near a mortuary van, crying for her child. The grandfather of the Zulu siblings arrived too late to see them, learning they’d already been taken to the mortuary. “It’s painful. We don’t know how we’ll pull through,” Zitha said, speaking of his nephew Lubanzi.
Ekurhuleni MMC for Community Safety, Clr Sizakele Masuku, also visited the scene, offering words of comfort. “We are saddened as a City to witness young lives lost on the road under unknown circumstances,” she said. “The country has been robbed because we expected so much from them.”
What Caused the Crash?
The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation. Law enforcement agencies are working to piece together what happened, with early reports suggesting a collision between the scholar transport – a Toyota Verso – and the Hilux bakkie. Unconfirmed claims on X and in Benoni City Times point to a strange incident moments before: a naked man reportedly standing in the middle of the N12 between Putfontein and Snake Road around 07:00. Some speculate this may have caused a distraction, but police have not confirmed this link. The man was taken to Daveyton SAPS, according to unverified accounts.
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela has called for greater road safety awareness. “Drivers bear the greatest responsibility for their decisions on the road,” she said in a statement on Tuesday, urging motorists to stay alert, stick to speed limits, and ensure vehicles are roadworthy. She also pushed for “passenger activism,” encouraging people to speak up about unsafe driving.
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