Farm learners in Bethal area are left without scholar transport for weeks
Departments assured parents, learners, educators and communities that the matter was receiving urgent attention, adding that learners' safety and wellbeing remained a priority.
Learners from farms near Bethal have been left without school transport for about two weeks, leaving parents worried about their children’s safety and education.
Parents say the disruption has particularly affected learners living on farms, who often travel long distances to reach schools in Bethal and eMzinoni and have limited alternative transport options.
According to parents, neither the transport operators nor the Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport has provided a clear explanation for the suspension of the service.
Sipho Mahlangu, a parent, said parents were particularly concerned about matriculants who are preparing for their final examinations.
“Our children are now at risk of being kidnapped, robbed and murdered because they are forced to hitchhike to school, especially the matriculants,” said Mahlangu.
He said some parents had been forced to keep younger learners at home because they could not safely travel to school without scholar transport.
“We as parents are forced to stay with our children who are in lower grades at home and allow matriculants to find means to go to school.
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“Our farm is about 15 kilometres away from Bethal and eMzinoni, where our children attend school.
“It has been two weeks since the scholar transport stopped operating and no one is telling us as parents what the problem is,” he said.
Mahlangu said the disruption was particularly worrying as matriculants are expected to write their fourth-quarter examinations as part of their preparation for the final examinations.
Parents have also raised concerns about reports of a dispute between previous scholar transport operators and newly appointed service providers.
Mahlangu said parents had heard allegations that former operators were allegedly preventing the newly appointed contractors from operating, claiming that the new contractors had taken over their work.
The disruption follows the lapse of contracts for previous scholar transport service providers and the provincial Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport’s introduction of new contracts.
Parents are calling for clarity from the department and the affected service providers, saying learners should not be caught in a dispute over scholar transport.
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They also want the department to urgently ensure that learners, particularly those travelling from farms, have safe and reliable transport to and from school.
The Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport and the Department of Education have moved to urgently address disruptions to scholar transport services following reports that former service providers are allegedly blocking newly appointed contractors from transporting learners.
The departments convened a joint meeting on September 14 to take stock of developments following the introduction of new scholar transport contracts, which came into effect on September 1.
MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport Thulasizwe Thomo and MEC for Education Lindi Masina led the meeting.
The departments said scholar transport operations were proceeding smoothly in most areas across the province, but acknowledged that some learners faced challenges in certain localities.
According to the departments, reports had emerged of former school transport service providers preventing newly appointed contractors from carrying out their duties.
The meeting adopted a coordinated and solutions-driven approach, with officials instructed to closely monitor developments on the ground, identify areas requiring immediate intervention and implement practical measures to resolve outstanding challenges.
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Officials from both departments have been directed to engage directly with affected communities and schools, liaise with scholar transport service providers and other relevant stakeholders, and ensure that identified problems are addressed as quickly as possible.
The departments further resolved that all outstanding issues must receive urgent attention to resolve the identified challenges before the end of the week.
The departments apologised for the inconvenience experienced by learners, parents, schools and communities in areas where scholar transport services have been disrupted.
They appealed to all stakeholders to cooperate with officials and to exercise patience while intervention measures are being implemented.
“The identified challenges must not be allowed to undermine the broader mission of ensuring quality education and creating an enabling environment in which every learner can learn and thrive,” the departments said.
They assured parents, learners, educators and communities that the matter was receiving urgent attention, adding that learners’ safety and wellbeing remained a priority.
The meeting also urged affected communities to work with officials from the two departments and refrain from intimidation, threats, violence or deliberate disruption of scholar transport operations.
The departments warned that such actions could place learners, drivers, operators and members of the public at risk while undermining the collective responsibility to protect learners’ right to education.
MECs Thomo and Masina reaffirmed that disputes and challenges surrounding the implementation of the new scholar transport contracts must be resolved through dialogue, constructive engagement and established government processes rather than through actions that disrupt learners’ education.
“Challenges will be addressed in pursuit of solutions, and the interests of our learners will remain at the centre of everything we do,” the departments said.
