South African authorities revise death toll in school bus crash to 12 as driver is arrested

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African authorities on Tuesday revised the death toll in a school bus crash to 12 children and announced the driver had been arrested and would face criminal charges.

The privately operated minibus collided head-on with a truck early Monday morning while carrying children to various schools south of Johannesburg.

Authorities initially announced that 12 children died at the scene of the crash and a 13th victim died later at the hospital.

On Tuesday, Gauteng province premier Panyaza Lesufi and the provincial health department said that 12 children had died at the scene and no deaths were reported in the hospital. Nine girls and three boys died, according to the provincial health department, while five other children, the bus driver and a passenger in the truck were hospitalized.

Police said that the 22-year-old male driver had been arrested after being discharged from the hospital and would be charged with 12 counts of culpable homicide — a charge comparable to manslaughter — and reckless and negligent driving. Witnesses said the bus had been overtaking other vehicles when it collided with the truck.

The driver's permit to operate a minibus had also expired, Lesufi said.

Schools reopened in South Africa last week after the end-of-year holidays.

Many children in the country travel to and from school on privately-run bus services. Earlier this month, the Child Safe advocacy group urged parents to be careful about which bus services they send their children on and to look out for poorly maintained vehicles and unlicensed operators.

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Police inspects the scene of a collision between a truck and a minibus carrying school children in Vanderbijlpark, South of Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo)

Relatives of school children who died when the minibus they were riding in collided with a truck, weep at the scene of the crash in Vanderbijlpark, South of Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo)

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday aimed at restoring “order, fairness and stability” to college athletics.

The order directs federal agencies to bolster the effectiveness of key rules on transferring, eligibility and pay-for-play by evaluating whether violations of such rules render a university unfit for federal grants and contracts.

The order also calls on the appropriate governing body to update these rules to restore financial stability and protect the future of all college sports, including women’s and Olympic sports by:

— establishing clear, consistent, and fair eligibility limits, including a five-year participation window;

— setting structured transfer rules for academic and athletic continuity;

— ensuring medical care for student-athletes;

— implementing revenue-sharing in a manner that protects and expands opportunities in women’s and Olympic sports;

— banning improper financial arrangements including pay-for-play agreements facilitated by collectives and similar entities; and

— establishing protections against unscrupulous agent conduct.

The order directs the Administrator of General Services and the Department of Education to increase data collection across college athletics to ensure compliance and directs the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission and the Attorney General to take appropriate enforcement actions.

The order also calls on Congress to “quickly” pass legislation to address these issues.

President Donald Trump pauses as he finishes speaking about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)