Brynbella community protests over school transport

The Brynbella (Bhambele) community engaged in a protest on Monday (January 22), blocking the R103 road with branches, rocks and refuse.

Angry protesters closed the road on Monday morning, complaining about the lack of buses to transport children to and from school. Community members say it is sad that some nearby areas have buses, but they are forced to fork out money from their own pockets to provide ‘rides’ for the learners.

Many of the pupils in this area attend schools in Estcourt itself, while others go to schools in Emabhalonini, which is a remote rural area.

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Protesters told the Estcourt News that they have been waiting for a bus programme for a long time. They estimate that it has been years since they asked the Department of Education to intervene in this regard.

Police arrived at the scene in the afternoon and opened the road after discussions with the community.

The leadership of Inkosi Langalibalele Municipality, led by Mayor Mduduzi Myeza, visited the area with the aim of calming the situation and listening to people’s complaints.

According to a statement issued by the municipality, they will write a letter to the relevant department to make sure that the community’s demands are met timeously.

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