Zero Tolerance: The North West Legislature Joint Committee Cracks Down on Scholar Transport Negligence and Rights Violations

On Thursday, 24 October 2024, the North West Legislature Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management, in conjunction with the Portfolio Committee on Education, held a joint meeting to hold the Departments of Community Safety and Transport Management and the Department of Education accountable for the unacceptable state of scholar transport in the province.

This meeting was a direct response to numerous complaints and a recent oversight conducted by the Committees to inspect the situation two weeks prior.

Hon. Freddy Sonakile, who chairs the Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management expressed deep dissatisfaction with the dismal manner in which scholar transport is being handled.
“The departments’ failure to provide scholar transport to learners who need it, is a deprivation of their right to education and must never be tolerated,” said Hon Sonakile

Following presentations from both departments, the Committee issued firm recommendations, demanding immediate action:
Amongst the recommendations made were that the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management must conduct unannounced roadworthy tests for all scholar transport service providers between now and December; must launch a full investigation into the possibility that some service providers fraudulently passed the verification process; a session with all unpaid service providers must be held within two weeks, and all outstanding payments must be fast-tracked where services have been rendered; an electronic monitoring system must be in place and operational by January 2025, without delay. Non-compliant buses operating at Mampho Secondary, Kromellenboog Combined, Botoka Secondary, Resolofetse Secondary, Phakedi Primary, Letlhasedi Combined and Reabona School must be revoked immediately following the Committee’s investigations, which revealed negligence and serious risks to learners’ safety.

The Committee resolved that amongst others, the Department of Education must commission an urgent study to locate the 9,045 learners in need of scholar transport but not receiving it. The study must detail the affected schools, identify whether these students are still attending, or if they have dropped out, and assess the full impact; and to submit a detailed report on the 21 learners of Phakedi Primary, who last attended school in March 2023 due to a lack of transport after the previous service provider’s contract expired.

The Phakedi Primary incident has been referred to the Human Rights Commission for investigation, as the Committee believes this situation constitutes a blatant violation of the learners’ right to education.

Hon Sonakile made it clear that the recommendations are non-negotiable and will be strictly monitored for compliance. A comprehensive report on the findings must be compiled, and decisive consequences must be enforced.

“We call for a zero-tolerance approach toward those who are putting children at risk. The rights of learners are non-negotiable and must be safeguarded at all costs,” said Hon Sonakile

Ends

Issued by: North West Provincial Legislature: Media & Communications Unit on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management – Hon Freddy Sonakile