- President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed deep sadness at the death of 19 pupils and two adults in Pongola, KZN.
- A collision between a bakkie and a truck on Friday resulted in 21 fatalities.
- The truck driver involved in the crash has since been arrested after handing himself over to police on Saturday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the death of 19 pupils and two adults on Friday in a collision between a bakkie and a truck near Pongola, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, was "another sad moment for our country, following the substantial loss of young lives in an Eastern Cape tavern recently".
He said South Africa could not afford to lose precious lives under any conditions.
"I hope the investigation into the Pongola incident will shed light on the cause of this tragedy and help us take better care of our children into the future."
He conveyed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
The pupils, aged five to 12, were in the bakkie when the truck veered into the lane of oncoming traffic and collided head-on with them.
The truck driver handed himself over to police on Saturday, allegedly after initially fleeing the scene.
'Only a matter of time'
Community leaders, who were in the area, told News24 the crash was bound to happen due to alleged recklessness by truck drivers who travel on the N2, near Pongola.
Concerned resident Adrian Chaning-Pearce previously told News24 that the main issue was the destruction of rail and ports in the area, which meant coal had to be transported by road.
"[Truck] drivers just drive however they want to, and some of the truck companies don't pay their drivers properly. They pay per load," he said.
Irrespective of the concerns raised, law enforcement remained outdated, Chaning-Pearce added.
Chaning-Pearce said at the time:
Footage of the accident, which has been circulating, shows the truck overtaking on a double barrier line, according to the KwaZulu-Natal traffic department.
"The truck was travelling from Piet Retief to [Pongola] and police have opened a case of culpable homicide and negligent driving," the department added.