Thousands of pupils in Mpumalanga who rely on government's scholar transport to get to school were left stranded after service providers stopped working due to non-payment.
The secretary of the provincial Small Bus Operators Association, Sipho Mndebele, said they represented more than 500 bus owners who are owed a combined R500m over three months, which led to pupils being unable to get to school.
In Gauteng, the Ekurhuleni metro has called for cooperation between taxi associations and scholar transport operators following incidents of harassment and intimidation. The Northern Education Transport Coordinators (Netco) public relations officer, who asked not to be named, said taxi operators had told them that from April 1, the organisation should join their association, but he said this was impossible "because our membership does not align with theirs".
Mndebele said stopping work was their last resort as their members had gone months without payment. "April is the third month we have gone without receiving payment from the department [of public works, roads and transport]. That means our drivers have not been paid too. We have been taking diesel on credit," he said.
"We now have debt and the people who gave us diesel on credit want their money, which we don't have. Earlier this month, we tried to talk to the department but we were told the department will only be able to pay us at the end of April. This doesn't sit well with us and we won't be able to work."
Mndebele said on Tuesday, the first day of the second term, they were able to take pupils to and from school across the province. However, a meeting was held later in the day between the operators and a resolution to stop working was taken.
Earlier this month, we tried to talk to the department but we were told the department will only be able to pay us at the end of April. This doesn't sit well with us and we won't be able to work.
— Sipho Mndebele
Mpumalanga education department spokesperson Gerald Sambo referred Sowetan to the department of public works, roads and transport. "We don't want to be seen fighting. [This is one] government," said Sambo.
Public works, roads and transport spokesperson Bongani Dhlamini said they acknowledged the concerns raised by the operators over non-payment. "There are outstanding payments due to the cut-off date of the financial year, which concluded in March," he said.
"We appreciate the operators’ patience during this transition period as we implement new financial systems. We assure all service providers that payments are being processed as the new systems started running as from [Tuesday]."
Dhlamini said the department would prioritise settling the outstanding payments.
SGB chairperson at Mkhulu Combined School in Middelburg Skhumbuzo Mabaso said the government was failing their children, and that they were disappointed. "This is not the first time bus owners had to stop work this year. They did so in January due to non-payment as well.
"Our plan for this school is to improve from our 89% matric pass rate from 2024 ... but the government is pressing down to our endeavours by not paying bus owners. It's a shame for our government to abandon learners like this," he said.
Pupils at Cyril Clarke Secondary School in Mataffin Trust, Mbombela, were seen playing outside. "We do not have anything to do because all the learners using scholar transport did not come to school," said a pupil.
Meanwhile, Ekurhuleni roads and transport MMC Andile Mngwevu said they have received "very concerning complaints" from scholar transport operators regarding acts of intimidation and interference from members of taxi associations. "This is completely not acceptable," he said, adding that metro police officers had been deployed to monitor the situation in Kempton Park and Tembisa.
Municipal spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said they would investigate the matter. – Additional reporting by Nandi Ntini
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