The DA in Limpopo has written to Education MEC, Mavhungu Lerule – Ramakhanya, to urgently address the lack of learning at Weenen Combined School due to the failure of the department to provide learners with transport to the school.
The DA Councillor responsible for Ward 16 in Mogalakwena, Corinus du Toit, carried out an oversight visit to the school after receiving numerous complaints from parents in the area that the school has not yet opened since last Wednesday due to the department’s failure to appoint a scholar transport service provider.
This school is supposed to have seven buses that are meant to transport about 415 learners to the school from surrounding areas. Currently none of these buses are in operation, leaving the school unable to operate.
A very small number of learners who live in the vicinity of the school arrived at the school but were turned away due to them being far too few to teach and thus are also not attending crucial classes.
The Limpopo scholar transport system is in crisis and thousands of learners across the province have missed classes since the beginning of the academic year because they have no means of getting to their classes. The DA will also lodge a complaint with the office of the Public Protector to investigate the circumstances around the failure to appoint scholar transport service providers.
This situation is totally unacceptable and it clearly shows the incompetence as well as a total lack of care by the ANC government in Limpopo. The majority of these children are from very poor households and this government is trapping them into a life of poverty.
The DA will continue to monitor the situation and is committed to ensure that this current scholar transport crisis in Limpopo is addressed and that learners can start their academic year in earnest.