Limpopo: Court grants interdict to stop Edu tender
The South African Small Buses Council has been granted an interdict by the court to stop the implementation of scholar transport tenders awarded by the Department of Education on 13 January this year.
LIMPOPO – The council was formed under the Department of Transport as an advocate in the interest of previously disadvantaged small bus operators. The Provincial Secretary, Olivia Maponya says one of their objectives is to ensure safe and reliable public transport services to previously disadvantaged communities and to liaise with government. She says the decision to urgently get an interdict came after the council tried on multiple occasions to stop the implementation of the tender with no success.
“We had to reluctantly haul the department to court on an urgent basis to stop the implementation of the scholar transport tenders that were awarded on 13 January.” She says that this comes after the council exhausted all avenues with the department that includes a meeting with the MEC, Polly Boshielo. Olivia says that the main reason for halting the tender is that some of the service providers tendered with non-existent vehicles. “In some instances the registration numbers were not that of buses, but of sedans and bakkies.” She says that even after the department was informed about the situation, officials went ahead with the tenders saying the matter would be investigated. Olivia says that the aim of scholar transport is to provide transport to children from disadvantaged communities who have to walk over five kilometres to school. She says that after the interdict the court ordered that the contractors who operated before 13 January 2020 be reinstated. The council still invites the department to sit down and engage with them to resolve the matter, she added. Departmental Spokesperson Sam Makonto told BONUS that the matter is sub judice and therefore reserved comment. The Public Servants Association (PSA) says it was shocked to learn that learners in some areas of Limpopo cannot attend school due to the non-availability of transport, despite contracts having been awarded for such services. PSA Provincial Manager, John Teffo says criminal cases should be instated against officials and service providers who colluded to defraud the state. “Should they be found guilty, they must repay the money. This will send a strong warning to corrupt officials.” Teffo says the PSA calls on the MEC to increase the monitoring of scholar-transport service providers to ensure learner safety and punctuality and compliance “before innocent children lose their lives”.
