NORTH WEST LEGISLATURE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT RAISES CONCERNS OVER RURAL SCHOLAR TRANSPORT AFTER OVERSIGHT REVEALS WIDESPREAD FAILURES IN MOSES KOTANE

The North West Provincial Legislature Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management (COSATMA), chaired by Hon. Freddy Sonakile, has raised serious concerns over the state of scholar transport in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality after unannounced oversight visits revealed that learners continue to bear the consequences of poor planning, deteriorating road infrastructure and service delivery failures.

As part of the Legislature’s Oversight Week Programme, the Committee visited Olehile Secondary School in Pitsidisulejang Village and Morare Secondary School in Pela Village on Thursday, 06 August 2026, to assess the provision of scholar transport.

At Olehile Secondary School, the Chairperson and Hon. Masego Kodisang, a member of the committee, found that the contracted service provider has abandoned the route since schools reopened, citing outstanding payment challenges and poor road conditions. The school indicated that a previous operator had also withdrawn under similar circumstances, leaving learners without reliable transport and disrupting learning.

The Committee resolved that the Department must ensure a replacement service provider is appointed by Monday, 10 August 2026. The Committee further directed the school to develop an academic recovery plan for affected matric learners, while the Department must provide transport for Saturday classes where necessary to help learners recover lost teaching time.

At Morare Secondary School, the Committee found that although the service provider is contracted to operate two buses, only one bus is currently servicing learners. The operator attributed this to financial constraints and severe road conditions, which allegedly resulted in the second bus being taken off the road for repairs. While the Department disputed claims of non-payment, the Committee noted that the recurring disputes between departments and service providers continue to negatively affect learners.

To verify the concerns, Members travelled the rural roads linking Pitsidisulejang and Pela, where they witnessed first-hand the poor condition of the road network. Communities informed the Committee that during periods of heavy rainfall, several sections become virtually impassable, making it impossible for buses to access some villages.

The Committee concluded that the scholar transport challenges in rural communities cannot be addressed in isolation from the condition of road infrastructure and broader service delivery shortcomings.

These findings have reinforced the Committee’s call for an urgent Scholar Transport Indaba that will bring together the Departments of Education, Community Safety and Transport Management, Public Works and Roads, Provincial Treasury, the South African Human Rights Commission, scholar transport operators and other key stakeholders.
The proposed Indaba will seek to develop practical and sustainable solutions to the province’s scholar transport challenges by addressing contracting models, payment systems, vehicle availability, infrastructure planning and accountability across departments.

“Today’s oversight demonstrated that scholar transport cannot be viewed as a stand-alone issue. When roads become inaccessible, operators withdraw because they cannot sustain their services, and learners lose valuable classroom time, the problem becomes systemic. The proposed Scholar Transport Indaba must deliver practical solutions that respond to the realities faced by rural communities across the North West,” said Hon. Freddy Sonakile.

The Committee will closely monitor the implementation of its resolutions and continue exercising oversight to ensure that responsible departments deliver sustainable interventions that protect learners’ constitutional right to education.

Ends

Issued on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management – Hon. Freddy Sonakile
To arrange interviews, please contact Ms. Namhla Luhabe on 079 527 0628

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