About 40 to 50 children from New Dassie face a daily struggle to get to school, with some walking roughly 14km a day through difficult and potentially dangerous terrain to attend schools in Ikageng.

According to community leader Charles Lekgetho, the children have been walking the route for the past three months because there is currently no reliable transport available. The situation becomes even more difficult when it rains, with the children often unable to attend school due to the conditions.

“Some of these children are very young, and they have to walk through tough terrain to get to school and back every day,” said Lekgetho. One of the biggest concerns is the route they are forced to take.

According to Lekgetho, some of the children have to walk through part of Promosa Dam to reach their schools in Ikageng, raising concerns about the risk of drowning and their general safety while travelling such a long distance without adult supervision.

Parents are also faced with difficult circumstances, with many having to leave home for work, while others rely on social grants and cannot afford private transport for their children.

The community previously had transport available, but residents claim the service was discontinued after the service provider allegedly was not paid by the department and was also threatened by privately owned transport operators.

“We are very concerned about the safety of these children. They have been walking this route for three months now, and something needs to be done before a child gets hurt or worse,” said Lekgetho. Queries have been sent to the municipality, the Department of Education and the Department of Transport regarding the situation. At the time of going to print, no feedback had been received.