This follows failure by the provincial Education Department to operationalise transport for learners. This is according to the party’s Andrew Louw who told OFM News that the matter has been going on like this for what he said he believes is over a year now. He said that he has previously sent an email to provincial MEC of Education, Martha Bartlett, expressing his concern over this matter, especially with final exams coming up. He said he is yet to receive a response from her office.

The DA’s Andrew Louw also told OFM News that much of the problems the Northern Cape Department of Education face within this regard have to do with the fact that the school bus which was set aside for the scholar transport allegedly has no diesel and has no diesel for a while now. In a statement revealed by the party earlier this morning, Louw said during the Annual Report Committee Meeting for the Department of Education which was held yesterday, the committee noted that scholar transport in the province has delivered better results than in previous financial years, yet despite this, there are many issues and concerns that still need to be addressed for this function to go smoothly.

“The safety of learners should be prioritised and as such, vehicles should always be roadworthy and functional. Issues of non-compliance of service providers who are transporting learners must also be dealt with. We cannot afford such minor issues to derail the education of our learners, especially during exams. We hope the MEC will see to it that transport services in Vosburg get back on the road as soon as possible,” Louw said.

Meanwhile, spokesperson for the provincial department, Geoffrey van der Merwe, had at the time this article was published, not yet responded to written questions OFM had sent him as he requested when we called for comment earlier this morning.

OFM News