DELMAS – Learners and community members in Vukuzenzele, Delmas protested on Thursday, 3 September, over alleged failures in the scholar transport service serving the area and surrounding rural communities.
The protest centred on learners travelling to Swartklip Combined School, with protesters alleging that some learners had been left behind, buses were not serving parts of their designated routes and additional transport was needed.
Scholar transport arrangements fall under the Mpumalanga Department of Education. The protest followed complaints from learners and parents about access to the existing service.
An SGB member, who spoke to Highveld Chronicle on condition of anonymity because he feared possible repercussions involving his matric child, said parents had been paying R100 per child for transport since 2021.
“Since 2021, we have been paying R100 for the buses, but we still have a problem getting the children from Ematshotshobheni onto them,” he said.
According to the SGB member, the community previously asked the principal to approach the department for an additional bus for learners from Ematshotshobheni.
He said the principal indicated that he would try to secure additional transport, but alleged that no extra bus had been provided.
The SGB member further alleged that some learners waiting along the roadside had not been collected since Monday.
“There are buses that pass them without picking them up. You can find a bus with about 80 robots and it still doesn’t stop,” he said.
He said drivers had told learners that Ematshotshobheni was not part of their designated routes.
The SGB member also alleged that the principal confronted learners waiting for transport and told them that if they could not walk to school, their parents should obtain transfer forms and move them to another school.
Highveld Chronicle could not independently verify these allegations.
Parents interviewed by Highveld Chronicle also raised concerns about transport serving communities along the route, including Big Mgqalano, Small Mgqalano, Bhodli, Nyawana, Mavedasini, Mazanganeni and Rocks.
A parent from Rocks said the bus had arrived late the previous day and failed to enter the area the following morning.
“We have a serious problem with this bus. It did not come into the rocks at all this morning,” the parent said.
The parent urged other parents to raise their concerns collectively.
“As parents, we need to stand up and speak for ourselves,” the parent said.
Separately, Vukuzenzele youth and students are demanding a safe, permanent bridge to improve access to the school.
Community members say learners face long walks and unsafe conditions, including muddy or flooded areas and an unsafe crossing. They argue that these conditions contribute to poor attendance and learner dropouts.
Protesters are calling for intervention to address the bridge problem.
The transport situation appeared to improve on Friday, 4 September, when Highveld Chronicle was informed that all learners had travelled to school using scholar transport buses.
It was not immediately clear whether Friday’s service marked a permanent resolution to the concerns raised by learners and parents.
The publication sent questions to the Mpumalanga Department of Education about the scholar transport arrangements, allegations that learners were left behind, the request for additional transport and the community’s demands. The department had not responded by the time of publication.
