LIMPOPO – Learners from Phalaborwa and Giyani who travelled to Polokwane to protest at the Limpopo Department of Education are at the centre of a row between the ANC and its student ally, the Congress of South African Students (Cosas), over unpaid taxi fares.

The ANC’s Norman Mashabane Region, which covers much of the Mopani District, including Tzaneen, Phalaborwa and Giyani, has accused Cosas Limpopo of creating the crisis itself by bypassing established funding procedures. It called the organisation’s Limpopo leadership ‘uncouth and irresponsible’.

Giyani contractor demands payment

According to the region, the matter escalated when it emerged that the Phalaborwa taxi was not the only one. A contractor for about 20 taxis from Giyani later arrived at the ANC provincial headquarters at Frans Mohlala House demanding R30 000.

Regional spokesperson Hassani Ngobeni told Herald’s sister publication Review Online that R20 000 was paid immediately through the intervention of the provincial office, with a promise to settle the balance, but that the incident had embarrassed the organisation.

“Though R20 000 was paid immediately, and a promise to settle the debt was made thanks to the provincial office of ANC, the leadership of Cosas must be condemned in the strongest possible terms because they made it seem like the organisation is incapable of supporting its structures by failing to facilitate preparation and simply put the blame on the regional secretary,” he said.

Cosas says learners paid the price

The row started when Cosas Limpopo released a statement condemning regional secretary Sonia Ngobeni for allegedly refusing to facilitate payment for the taxis that had ferried learners to the demonstration.

Cosas, which is recognised as an associate structure within the broader liberation movement and Congress tradition led by the ANC, had mobilised learners from the far eastern parts of Limpopo – including Phalaborwa and Giyani – to raise what it described as serious and sensitive challenges affecting schools. These ranged from poor infrastructure and lack of learning resources to transport, safety and hunger.

In its statement, Cosas said the failure to pay for transport had direct consequences for learners.

“These were not learners travelling for leisure. They were learners who came to Polokwane to raise issues and challenges affecting their schools and their education,” Cosas said. “Their departure was delayed, they arrived home late, and learners who had already spent the day standing up for issues affecting their education were left to carry the burden of the delays.”

Cosas added: “These are our children. These are our learners. These are young people who deserve to be listened to, protected and supported.”

Region says procedure was not followed

The region maintains that Cosas is to blame.

Hassani Ngobeni said the official process requires structures to apply for support in advance through the ANC Youth League and for the region to do proper procurement, yet Cosas only made contact when its members were already in Polokwane.

“Even then, the region was not told in advance about this programme so that proper procurement could be done but a call simply came in while the Cosas members were already in Polokwane that a taxi needs to be paid. Only to find that the contractor charged R6 000, what is the R2 000 extra for?” he said.

He added: “We cannot be insulted by children who want to be leaders even in the future but fail with basic responsibility etiquette.”

‘ANC does not have money lying around’

He said the dispute reflects a wider pattern, where some structures allegedly request accommodation, meals and transport for programmes that cannot be traced or verified without proper paperwork.

“By the way, ANC does not have money lying around, so we ought to be told in advance when they have programmes, not for them to make demands in the name of the organisation,” he said.