Riverside residents march to premier’s office over school construction delays and transport crisis
Riverside View community leaders demanded urgent government intervention as learners missed two weeks of school due to halted scholar transport and the absence of a local public school.
In order to raise concerns about scholar transport disruptions and the prolonged delay in constructing a local school, Ward 96 councillor Rufas Maswazi led Riverside View residents in a peaceful march to the office of the Gauteng premier on February 10.
Maswazi further confirmed that residents were able to submit a memorandum, demanding the urgent establishment of the school in the community.
Read more: Riverside community marches over scholar transport crisis and lack of local school
The premier’s office has since acknowledged receipt of the memorandum, and indicated that it will review the submission and provide timelines for action regarding the establishment of the school in Riverside View.
According to community activist Loyiso Toyiya, the absence of a local school has placed additional pressure on schools in surrounding areas, particularly in Diepsloot.
“There’s no school here in Riverside. The overcrowding happening in nearby schools is because more than 2 000 learners attending schools in Diepsloot are coming from Riverside.”
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Toyiya also highlighted that residents had reached a breaking point after learners were unable to attend school for the past two weeks due to the suspension of scholar transport services.
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He explained that scholar transport services were halted after service providers were allegedly not paid by the department of education.
Maswazi echoed these concerns, confirming that the non-payment of transport service providers had severely affected learners’ ability to attend school. He added that engagements with the department of education had already taken place.
Maswazi said the community hopes the march will draw urgent attention to the challenges faced by Riverside residents, and lead to immediate interventions to ensure learners can return to school, while also accelerating plans for the construction of their local school.
The Gauteng department of education was contacted for comment, but no response has been received by time of print.
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