Following the tragic death of seven school children in a horrific accident in Imbali township in Pietermaritzburg, the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal calls on the KZN Provincial Government to stop investing money to organise funerals and rather provide safe transport for our scholars.
“It’s high time that this government stops talking about scholar transport and actually implement it in areas where our children have to commute long distance to acquire an education. We are tired of seeing MECs delivering speeches full of empty promises whenever our young children perish on the roads. For years now MECs have been talking of providing appropriate transport and outlawing the transportation of learners on bakkies – but it still goes on and our children are dying. The Department of Transport and the Department of Education have been passing the buck from one to the other with no resolution in sight”, said IFP Spokesperson on Education, Mrs Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, MPL.
“The MEC of Transport has promised many times in the past to fast track a policy to ban bakkies being used to transport children but to date nothing has happened and children are still dying. MECs Willies Mchunu and Peggy Nkonyeni must tell us how many more children must die before they act decisively. It would appear that these MECs do not have the will or the capacity to conduct an audit to ascertain where scholar transport is needed. Seven young lives have been cut short at the start of this academic year and there is still no solution in sight. This is unacceptable and has to end without further delays”, concluded Mrs kaMadlopha-Mthethwa.
The IFP sends sincere condolences to the families, educators and friends of the seven children who lost their lives in this tragic accident.
Issued by:
IFP KZN Spokesperson on Education,
Mrs Thembeni KaMadlopha-Mthethwa MPL, 071 884 3844 / 079 114 3015
For Media Enquiries:
Mr Phendulani Biyase, IFP KZN Legislature Media Officer, 073 024 567