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NEWS FLASH

17 March 2022

Elements of criminality disrupts provision of learner transport in NW. Learners from rural areas across the Province are being disadvantaged seemingly by elements of criminality in the North West Province. The Department of Community Safety and Transport Management is providing a scholar transport services to learners of 314 schools across the province. Recently the department has noticed a number of incidents where service providers appointed to transport learners in the rural areas are continuing to experience vandalism of their buses, allegedly by the communities or learners. Recently, learners from Willow Park in the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality have been frustrated by the results of these unfortunate acts. This as a result of a number of incidents where buses of the newly appointed service provider were vandalised, diesel stolen and the driver held hostage at gun point. The service provider was recently appointed by the Department as a means of intervention after the initial service provider had abandoned the project. A case of damage to property and theft was opened at the Lehurutshe Police Station and investigations are currently underway. "Learners were left stranded after the initial service provider abandoned the project. It is reported that the community and some learners forced the newly appointed service provider to stop their service," said the Director for Public Transport, Mr Tumiso Mohono. In Derby, the Department is currently intervening as the learners from Lesele Secondary School are not being transported after the community and learners allegedly vandalised the bus and threatened to kill the driver. These reportedly took place after the other service provider had also abandoned the service. Another unfortunate incident took place in Lodirile High School in Delareyville. The learners broke windows and removed chairs when the other service provider’s bus got stuck. In Khuma it is alleged that a certain group who are referring to themselves as business forum are demanding the service providers 30 percent from their contracts of service. The Departmental MEC, Sello Lehari is pleading with communities and learners across the Province to work with the Department, Department of Education, School Governing Bodies (SGB’s), and principals to avoid and do away with these criminal elements that are disrupting the transportation of their learners to school. “It is the rights of our learners to receive the best education and it is therefore our responsibility to protect and ensure that our learners are being transported to school without any disruption. “We are continuing to intervene in every challenge that we encounter at different schools and dealing with these challenges as and when they come. The unfortunate part is that our learners will suffer while the challenges arise. “We commit to resolve every challenge that our schools and service providers continue to experience, however, we also need to work together with our communities to safeguard a bright future for our learners,” said MEC Lehari who also appealed to service providers to honour contracts that they have signed with the Department. He said some of the service providers are problematic and are at some point contributing to the challenges that are being experienced, adding that the department will be left with no choice but to take legal action against them. END Next Articles+

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