Limpopo Education supports families after scholar transport tragedy

Limpopo Education Department says it has deployed social workers to the families of learners who died in a collision between two scholar transport vehicles on Thursday at Ga-Mashashane outside Polokwane.

Three learners and a driver lost their lives.

Education Spokesperson Mike Maringa says the department is finalizing arrangements to support learners at the affected schools.

“We have indicated that the bus has claimed the lives of three of our learners and a driver, who was transporting learners in the Mashashane area.

We have started with the psychological support.

Our social workers are on the ground.

They will continue to visit the affected schools in the coming week.

We are equally monitoring the learners who are still in the hospital with the hope that they too should be discharged, so that they can resume with schooling in the coming week,” says Maringa.

The Limpopo Scholar Transport Alliance says government should introduce measures to regulate scholar transport in the province.

The alliance Spokesperson, Thapedi Kgole, says that scholar transport should be subsidized and unroadworthy vehicles taken off the road.

“We are concerned about issues of permits.

We haven’t received permits, most of our operators that are registered under the Limpopo Scholar Transport Alliance that are registered with the local scholar transport association have not received permits.

Secondly, aging vehicles.

We know and we understand that we have aging vehicles that are not in the good stature.