The Northern Cape School Transport Association says their drivers are battling to transport learners across five districts due to non-payment from the Education Department. Pupils from three schools in Keimoes, near Upington, are stranded and have been walking to school since Monday.
The affected two primary schools and a high school are about 40 kilometers away from their homes.
The association’s Secretary Kenny Dugmore, says, “The busses are in relatively poor conditions. We haven’t been able to buy new ones there hasn’t been money for that. Transporters are in dire financial positions because of years of subsidising the government and providing the service for the learners. At the moment, without getting paid for January, the drivers can’t actually put diesel into the buses,” says Dugmore.
Meanwhile, the Northern Cape Department of Education says they still don’t have funds to pay scholar transport service providers.
Provincial Spokesperson, Lehuma Ntuane says service providers must continue rendering services.
“If they discontinue their services then there wouldn’t be any payment as part of the clause that they signed. They know about it. So, we will only be able to pay for services that have been rendered and it wouldn’t be a submitted excuse for them to say they were not paid,” says Ntuane.
