“This is Worrisome”: Mother Speaks Out Against Misuse of Son’s Pictures in Vaal Accident Tragedy

• A mother has come forward to clear her son’s name after his pictures were wrongly linked to the Vaal tragedy
• The false claims have caused bullying at school and emotional distress for the child and his family
• The incident has renewed concerns around misinformation and image misuse on South African social media

A viral lie has turned into a painful reality for a child who had nothing to do with the tragedy, showing how quickly careless online speculation can spill into real life and leave lasting scars on innocent families who never asked to be part of a public storm.

A North West mother has spoken out after her son’s photos were falsely linked to the tragic Vaal accident that claimed the lives of 14 learners. The video was posted by @northwest.unlocked on 29 January 2026, where Itsholeng Monnamme from Boikekong set the record straight regarding images of her son, Reotshepile Monnamme, circulating online. According to the mother, someone used her son’s pictures and incorrectly claimed he was involved in the fatal accident that occurred on 19 January in Vaal. She explained that the claims were completely false and deeply hurtful to their family.

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The aftermath of this has been devastating. Reotshepile is being bullied at school, and the false claims have triggered memories of a different accident he was involved in. The emotional toll on him has been significant, and it's heartbreaking to see my child reliving those traumatic moments. His mother told Northwest Unlocked:

"I want to make it clear, my son was not involved in the Vaal accident. I urge anyone with information about who is behind this malicious act to come forward."

Family seeks accountability over harmful social media claims

The video by user @northwest.unlocked gained traction as many South Africans expressed concern about how easily false information spreads online. The story resonated with parents who fear for their children’s safety and emotional well-being in the digital age. The fact that the tragedy involved schoolchildren made the misuse of images even more disturbing for viewers.

The family revealed that Reotshepile has been bullied at school as a result of the false claims, and the situation has reopened trauma from an accident he was involved in last November in Rustenburg. The emotional toll has been heavy, and the family is now seeking help to identify who is responsible, while also looking into counselling support for their son.

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Here’s what Mzansi said

Ntombi Galoome commented:

“I think someone closer to you posted on social media.”

Lezothi_T said:

“People are obsessed with content these days.”

Brian M wrote:

“Now I don’t trust anything on social media.”

DipuoNakedi commented:

“Social media will be the end of us.”

Sekwati Matlala said:

“Gossiping is bad.”

Brainz Bhungane wrote:

“Yeah, we’ve become a society that values trends and popularity at the expense of truth and people’s rights and privacy.”

Rahaba68 commented:

“We are sorry to both of you. Why are people so selfish tjooo?”

User6208355529887fifi said:

“We’re crazy with these camera phones, people are obsessed.”

Check out the TikTok video below:

3 Other Briefly News stories about accidents

• The family of two boys who were killed in the Vaal accident on the R553 in Vanderbijlpark says their trust in the scholar transport system was broken.
• Mourners, parents, community members, and classmates of three of the 14 children who died from the R553 crash in Vanderbijlpark were grief-stricken at their funerals.
• Nine children were injured near Sarnia School in Pinetown when a scholar transport lost control and collided with a tree.

Source: Briefly News