A year on, nine-year-old still pays the price for school transport crash

Nine-year-old Kgalalelo Mako has missed school 47 times since a school transport accident in the Vaal left her with ongoing headaches and pain. Her mother, Alice Mako, says the driver fled the scene and only reported the crash hours later, after the children were already in class. As families grapple with trauma and fears around scholar transport, parents and pupils are calling for stricter laws, safer vehicles and real accountability on South Africa’s roads.