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The scholar transport driver accused of causing the crash that claimed the lives of 14 learners in Vanderbijlpark said he is not fit to stand trial.

Ayanda Dludla appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court Thursday morning, after being released on bail in September.

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His lawyer is asking the court to order a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether the 23-year-old is mentally fit to stand trial.

Dludla faces 14 counts of murder, as well as charges of attempted murder, stemming from the January collision on the Golden Highway between the minibus taxi he was driving and a side-tipper truck.

The state has also accused him of violating several road traffic regulations.

On Monday, Dludla’s legal team was given two days to prepare a preliminary report, supported by a clinical assessment, to substantiate its application for a psychiatric evaluation.

His lawyer said Dludla has been experiencing flashbacks, nightmares, social withdrawal, irritability and difficulty concentrating since the crash.

When the court granted him bail in September, it accepted the defence’s submission that Dludla may have an intellectual disability.

This was despite the absence of medical evidence before the court at the time to support the claim.

The state has, however, warned that further evaluations could delay justice for the families of the 14 children who lost their lives.

Some of the bereaved families have already voiced their disappointment over the decision to grant Dludla bail.

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