The safety of learners must be prioritised as thousands of learners are expected to go back to school tomorrow, says the Inkatha Freedom Party in the statement issued today.
“We call upon parents to make use of safe vehicles for scholar transport. They must ensure that the vehicles they intend to hire to transport their children are roadworthy and the drivers are qualified. First of all, they must request an updated vehicle road worthy certificate, and a driver’s licence for the driver. By requesting all these documents this will help in eradicating the scourge of unnecessary road accidents. Parents must also become ambassadors of road safety,” said IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson on Education, Mrs Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa MPL,
“In rural areas, even minibuses are scarce and “Malumes” (bakkie operators) address the needs of commuters. These bakkies are similarly unregulated, profit-driven and sometimes unsafe. Like minibuses, they are used regularly by children to go to school.
Furthermore, it’s high time that this government stops talking about scholar transport and actually implement it in areas where our children have to commute long distance to acquire an education. We are tired of seeing MECs delivering speeches full of empty promises whenever our young children perish on the roads. For years now KZN MECs of Education and Transport have been talking of providing appropriate transport and outlawing the transportation of learners on bakkies – but it still goes on and our children are dying. The Department of Transport and the Department of Education have been passing the buck from one to the other with no resolution in sight,” continued Mrs Madlopha-Mthethwa.
“The IFP calls on the KZN Provincial Government to stop investing money to organise funerals and rather provide safe transport for our scholars. It is a well-known fact that government always complain about lack of funds for scholar transport but it has the money to organise mass funerals for those learners who died while being transported on bakkies and unroadworthy vehicles,” conclude Mrs Madlopha-Mthethwa.
Issued by:
IFP KZN Spokesperson on Education,
Mrs Thembeni KaMadlopha-Mthethwa MPL, 071 884 3844 / 079 114 3015
Date: 16 January 2018
