Mpumalanga scholar transport saga leaves students stranded

Furious parents from Curlews Farm outside White River in Mpumalanga blamed the departments of education and public works for failing to provide transport arrangements for their 17 children who attended Boschrand Primary School, reports Mpumalanga News.

Rodney Mashego, a local farm dweller, said: “We are sad about the whole situation because time is passing and our children have already missed a lot of what is being taught at school. They also cry each time they return to the houses because they cannot walk to school.”

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He added that no one from either department had explained to them what was happening regarding the transport. Jasper Zwane, a spokesperson for the department of education, referred questions pertaining to issues of scholar transport to the department of public works, roads, and transport as it was the relevant department mandated with providing scholar transport in the province.

Mxolisi Dlamini, spokesperson for public works, roads, and transport said the problems in Gert Sibande started when a tender from the previous bus operator was transferred to a temporary new contractor, who demanded the removal of subcontractors so he could deal directly with the department.

“This has its complications because this operator is still using the contract used by the previous operator, with its terms and conditions,” he said. Dlamini added that the process to give the scholar transport tender to a permanent new contractor was still pending.

“When the tender is out, its conditions will not be exactly as the previous contracts,” he said.

In Ehlanzeni, scholar transport was affected in and around Matsulu, Barberton, and other parts of Mbombela.

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