SAHRC conducts an inquiry into transport challenges in North West
Image: South African Human Rights Commission
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in the North West has launched an investigation into the state of scholar transport in the province.
This follows after the SAHRC received numerous complaints from complainants about inadequate and unsafe school transport. Some parents have raised concerns about the buses that transport learners to schools, which are not reliable and roadworthy.
The commission is conducting a three-day investigative inquiry in the province to assess the challenges affecting the provision of scholar transport, particularly in rural and underprivileged communities.
The commission received oral submissions from community members who raised concerns about the condition of buses that are transporting learners to school.
One of the community members from Bodibe Village, Albert Dazuka, said most of the buses are not in good condition to be ferrying children. He stated that other buses have broken windows and are not properly cleaned.
“I once found school girls cleaning a bus and the only explanation from the bus driver was that the learners were cleaning the bus voluntarily,” said Dakuza.
Dakuza further raised concern over the issue of overcrowding, revealing that some buses add an extra 20 to 30 learners per trip and these trips include learners from all grades.
A school governing body from Moruleng Village, Ofentse Gaitate, also revealed that there was another incident where 40 learners from one of the local schools were overloaded in a 15-seater minibus. He said the government does not provide school transport for learners in Moruleng.
The Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Community Safety in the North West Legislature, Freddy Sonakile, revealed that during one of the overnight visits to Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, the Portfolio Committee discovered that 21 learners could not go to school in March last year, because there was no school transport provided for them.
"Some of the buses did not have brakes, batteries, fuel, and they had worn-out seats and tyres," said Sonakile
The Chairperson of the SAHRC, Nomahlubi Khwinana, said the findings on these matters will form part of a comprehensive investigative impact report with recommendations aimed at ensuring safe, reliable and accessible transport for all learners.
“The right to education is being violated," said Khwinana.
She said they have raised safety concerns with the Department of Education about learners who have to travel long distances to go to school. She said they are expecting the officials from the Department of Education and the Department of Community of Safety Transport to account to the communities as to why they are experiencing these transport challenges.
"The issue seems to be a systemic problem, and the findings in the inquiry report will make concrete recommendations," said Khwinana.
Last year, the learners at Maselwanyane Primary School held a protest to demand improved transport services. The learners stated that they have been experiencing transport issues since the beginning of the academic year, which caused them to arrive late to school. They explained that these challenges affected their academic performance.
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