- Ofentse Vinger, 6, Thato Moetji, 17, and Bokamoso Mokhomo, 12, were among the 14 learners killed in a crash on 14 January 2025 in Sebokeng.
- Premier Panyaza Lesufi and other Gauteng leaders vowed action, as the young driver of the taxi faces 14 murder charges.
The Vaal region is in mourning as families and communities bury the children who died in a devastating crash on 14 January 2025.
A minibus taxi transporting learners collided with a truck on Fred Droste Road (R553) in Sebokeng. Fourteen learners died. The youngest was only six.
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On Sunday, three of the victims, Ofentse Vinger, 6, Thato Moetji, 17, and Bokamoso Mokhomo, 12, were laid to rest in a joint funeral.
The service was attended by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Education MEC Matome Chiloane, Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, and MEC for Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela.
Mamotse Madlela, speaking on behalf of Vinger's family, read a letter from his grieving mother. "I only had you for six years," she wrote. "I didn't know you would only go to school for a few days."
Moetji's friend Sibongile Miya shared a memory. "We made a TikTok video on Friday. My friend was so happy. I never imagined it would be our last day together."
Premier Lesufi said the crash was "the most hurtful event in recent memory" for Gauteng.
"We are determined to fix what needs to be fixed," he said. "We can't have a situation where the road to school leads our children to graveyards."
MEC Chiloane called for consequences for the 22-year-old minibus driver who faces 14 counts of murder.
"He violated the law. He must be held accountable," said Chiloane.
On Saturday, two more victims, 18-year-old Phehello Motaung and his nephew Lesego Sefatso, 7, were buried in another joint funeral on Saturday, 24 January 2026.
