By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
7 May 2025- The North West Provincial Legislature Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management said it has noted with serious concern the non-payment of scholar transport service providers in the North West, which has resulted in some providers suspending learner transport services since yesterday.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Freddy Sonakile said this disruption directly infringes on learners’ constitutional right to education. Sonakile said the North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, has confirmed that it engaged in a full-day, tense meeting yesterday with service providers in Ngaka Modiri Molema District to address the issue.
He further said the department has acknowledged the urgency and is committed to clearing all outstanding payments by 9 May 2025. Sonakile added that, to ensure accountability and progress, they are in constant communication with the department.
“Starting from yesterday, the Head of Department (HOD), Dr Hans Kekana will submit daily proof of payments to the committee after 2pm, to verify that payments are being processed timeously. The delays were largely due to recent technical issues with the BAS (Basic Accounting System) payment system, which have since been resolved.
“The committee wishes to remind the public that it has been actively working on long-term solutions to scholar transport challenges since last year. Several resolutions adopted by the North West Provincial Legislature are already being implemented, including Invoice Tracking System,” he said.
Sonakile said the department has since 1 April 2025 adopted the ‘Rea Patala’ invoice tracking system, as per the committee’s resolution. He said the National Public Works ICT Unit trained departmental staff on its use yesterday.
“This system ensures invoices are processed efficiently and in line with legal requirements. On submission of a Business Case on Funding Shortfalls, the department has finalised a business case to present to Provincial Treasury to address the current funding gap in scholar transport.
“Although R85 million was allocated for scholar transport this financial year, there remains a shortfall of approximately R150 million. Addressing this shortfall is critical to prevent similar payment crises towards the end of the year,” said Sonakile.
He said plans are underway to convene a comprehensive Transport Summit later this year, bringing together service providers, Provincial Treasury, the Department of Education, school principals, SGBs, and the Portfolio Committee. Sonakile said the summit will aim to establish a provincial scholar transport policy, clearly defining stakeholder responsibilities, improving monitoring, and ensuring enforceable accountability.
“The committee urges all service providers to continue transporting learners while the Department processes outstanding payments this week. The committee is closely monitoring progress, and should payments not be finalised by Friday, we will push for strong consequence management measures against those responsible for delays,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the North West said it is gravely dismayed by the North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management continued failure to provide a responsive, learner centred and effective scholar transport. The party said from 29 April 2025 to date, the department in question failed to provide transport for learners of JM Lekgetha Commercial School and Gaetsho Secondary School.
EFF provincial spokesperson, Fanon Moema said: “As if that was not enough, the department did not inform the concerned parties about the predicament and it also appears that the department does not have a concrete plan to deal with the crisis.
“It is evident enough that the department did not do anything to address or prevent the crisis at hand. Since Wessels Morweng took over the reins as the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, challenges of unroadworthy scholar transports and late payments of service providers persists.”
Moema said as a result of this, learners are the ones who suffer the most as they miss important lessons and assessments. He said the department is tasked with allocating scholar transport resources of the province
in the best interest of the learners, however, the elites are using scholar transport as a business tickets for their self-enrichment at the expense of the children of the black
working class.
“As the EFF, we will initiate a fully blown investigation of reported cases of unroadworthy scholar transport, irregular awarding of scholar transport tenders and
malicious delays of payments. We further urge the department of education to put necessary measures in place to assist all the affected learners to catch up with the
missed school work,” said Moema.
The Guardian 