Thousands of schoolchildren across the country were left stranded this week as school transport services came to a halt, following the government’s failure to release overdue payments to bus operators. The disruption has affected learners from both rural and urban areas, forcing many to miss school or walk long distances, often in unsafe conditions.
At the heart of the crisis is a funding delay by the Department of Education, which is responsible for compensating private bus operators contracted under the School Transport Program. According to several operators, payments have not been received for up to three months, making it financially impossible for them to continue offering services without going into debt.
We cannot afford to fuel the buses or pay our drivers anymore. We’ve been operating on hope for too long, said Simon Dlamini, the spokesperson for the Independent School Transport Operators Association. Many of our members are small business owners who rely on timely government payments to survive. The delay has brought everything to a standstill.
Parents have voiced outrage, with many accusing the government of negligence and failing to prioritize the needs of learners. Our children’s education is being interrupted, and the government doesn’t seem to care. How are they supposed to focus on schoolwork when they have to walk 10 kilometers just to get there? asked Thandiwe Mokoena, a concerned mother from KwaZulu-Natal.
Teachers and principals have also expressed concern, noting that attendance has dropped sharply since the transport services were suspended. Some schools report that more than half of their pupils have been absent for several days. We are trying our best to keep learning going, but how do you teach an empty classroom? said one principal in Limpopo who requested to remain anonymous.
In response to the growing public pressure, the Department of Education issued a brief statement acknowledging the delays and attributing them to ‘administrative challenges’ within the Treasury. We are working tirelessly to resolve the issue. Payments are expected to be processed within the next two weeks, the statement read.
However, this assurance has done little to calm the storm. Opposition parties and education advocacy groups have called for urgent parliamentary oversight, demanding accountability from both the Department of Education and the National Treasury.This is not just an administrative issue it’s a crisis that affects the lives and futures of thousands of learners, said Lebo Matladi, spokesperson for the National Education Rights Forum. The right to basic education includes access to safe and reliable transport. The government is failing in its constitutional duty.
With no clear resolution in sight, many fear the situation could worsen in the coming weeks if payments are not processed swiftly. Bus operators warn that even once payments are made, it may take days or even weeks to fully resume services due to backlogs in maintenance and staffing.
As the nation watches closely, families, educators, and transport workers alike wait anxiously for the government to make good on its promises before more school days are lost and the ripple effects of this transport crisis deepen.
