31 Oct 2022

For one who has watched Pascal Plisson’s On the way to school movie they will understand the plight of young ones in pursuit of education especially in remote areas such as Moshana.

It’s not the usually, “baby your driver is here!” or “take your bags lets go” kind of thing that we see in some families, not in Moshana!  

Their day starts as early as the crack of dawn, after which they proceed to hitch-hike by the village bus stop, approximately 10km from their respective schools in Kanye.

Although it is every child’s dream to graduate from primary school to experience life in high school, graduates of Modisi Primary School in Moshana have over the years found themselves faced with a transport challenge to access various secondary schools in Kanye in pursuit of higher learning.

Their plight is witnessed by motorists who pass them either trying their luck with private vehicles, or scattered in small groups along the Trans-Kalahari walking to their respective schools.

The unreliability of such an arrangement has not only affected academic performance owing to late coming, but also poses a safety risk to the learners.

In the past, following extensive consultations with the relevant stakeholders, the Southern District Council had provided transport to the learners in an endeavour to address the situation. 

However, due to financial constraints, the arrangement had to be shelved when COVID-19 hit the government coffers. 

As expected, the issue arose again recently at a village kgotla meeting addressed by Kanye North MP, Mr Thapelo Letsholo.

Kgosi Seate Marumo of Moshana set the tone on the topical matter, explaining that the status quo of haphazard travelling was not safe for the learners, most of whom were minors. 

He said their request for the issue to be addressed through the Affirmative Action have hit a snag.

“In the past we have requested for intervention through the Affirmative Action because we believe our children need to have equal rights and opportunities with other children elsewhere in the country, but we were not successful,” he explained.

He pointed that apart from the compromised security, sourcing for transporting from private vehicles was not reliable hence there had been late-coming complaints at the secondary schools they attend.

He said the situation was risky, especially in this era of escalated crime rates.

“At one point, the council gave parents transport money but the arrangement was still not effective because the funds would end up being allocated to other needs.”

This, he attributed to the high rate of unemployment and subsequently lack of income in most households.

Kgosi Marumo’s sentiments were corroborated by Ms Mosadimme Ntlape, who outlined that the issue was a serious concern for the parents.

“This is a very serious issue as it even affects academic performance of our children because they arrive late at school. As it is, we will never have educated people in our village because of this transport issue,” she lamented.

Kanye Administration Authority (KAA) service centre coordinator, Ms Keneilwe Seidisa acknowldeged that transporting Moshana learners to Kanye was a complicated and delicate issue that needed urgent attention.

“Initially the council took the responsibility to transport the pupils to schools in Kanye, but due to financial constraints caused by COVID-19, we confined the arrangement to only those in our social baskets. 

Giving transport money to guardians has also created more problems for us since it is evident that the money is misappropriated,” she explained.

Subsequently, she promised residents that a consultative meeting with all stakeholders would be convened in the near future concerning the issue.

She underscored the importance of mindset change in tackling the matter, in line with the President’s Reset Agenda.

In the interim, she informed them, the council was in the process of securing transport for the learners in an effort to alleviate the challenges that come with the status quo.

“Request for Quotation has been completed for transport operators to express interest in this regard. We therefore encourage local transporters to take advantage of this opportunity.” ends