More appeals for safer scholar transport

Community members in Mafube Village in Mpumalanga are calling on government to ensure safety of their children while using scholar transport.

This comes after a crash between a bus and goods train that left six learners dead, and 20others injured.

Speaking during a memorial service of the deceased learners, parents say drivers must be vetted and buses inspected before they can transport learners.

A sombre mood filled the Sikhululiwe Community Hall. With family, friends and residents in their numbers to honor the lost lives. Many parents are worried about their children’s safety in scholar transport. They are calling on government to address their concerns.

“We need to invite traffic officers or whoever has the power to take blood tests of the bus drivers before they can transport the learners. Another thing is we need proper inspection of the scholar transport because at the moment we have multiple buses that transport our learners and we are not happy with their condition and we ask government to deal with overloading in these transports,” says Sibusiso Masango, SGB Chairperson Moreling Combined School.

“We ask that the department ensure that drivers are well and ready for the road because we have suffered a huge loss. I used to see these learners on a daily basis. I have not been able to sleep well since the incident happened,” says parent Johanna Sibanyoni.

Video: Mpumalanga Crash – Community supports families at memorial service for 6 learners:

The provincial Department of Education says they will continue to support the affected families even beyond the funeral.

“The Department of Social Development and the Department of Health has been with the parents, with the teachers and the learners. They are still here and during the week they have been visiting the families. And inside we do have our social workers who are responsible for giving them support because this is a very painful incident. I thought it would be easy today because it’s been days but when I pass the scene of the accident, it came back again,” says Education MEC Cathy Dlamini.

On Saturday, a mass funeral service will be held at the Sikhululiwe Community Hall, while the families will bury their children in different graveyards.

Meanwhile, the train driver who escaped the crash with slight injuries has been discharged.

Furthermore, Transnet says the investigation is being handled by SAPS and the Railway Safety Regulator.

“We don’t want to prejudge the outcomes of the investigation. We are clear on our part that we play, our role within the rules of the railways. However, we want the police to really investigate thoroughly the incident because it has massive ramifications in the community here,” says Transnet executive Litha Mcwabeni.