POLOKWANE – The MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Ms Violet Mathye, on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, led the Department’s delegation during Day 1 of the Scholar Transport Public Enquiry in Polokwane.
MEC Mathye was joined by the MEC for Treasury, Mr Kgabo Mahoai, as the Department participated in the enquiry convened by the Portfolio Committee on Transport and Community Safety, under the chairpersonship of Hon Kedibone Lebea.
Addressing the enquiry, MEC Mathye reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to ensuring that learners across Limpopo have access to safe, reliable and dignified scholar transport.
The enquiry brought together a broad range of stakeholders, including the Scholar Transport Alliance, public transport operators, SANTACO, NTA, Community Policing Forums, road safety organisations, the South African Human Rights Commission (Limpopo), SADTU, NAPTOSA, SASCO and School Governing Bodies.
Deliberations focused on challenges affecting the safety and reliability of scholar transport, with stakeholders raising serious concerns about the use of unroadworthy vehicles and the overloading of learners.
Stakeholders also emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among government, transport operators, schools, communities and other relevant stakeholders to address challenges within the scholar transport system.
The call for follow-up sessions was welcomed as an important mechanism to monitor progress, strengthen accountability and ensure that concerns raised during the enquiry translate into concrete interventions.
The stakeholders collectively reiterated that scholar transport should be treated as an essential service, given its critical role in ensuring that learners can access education safely and with dignity.
The Department remains committed to working with all stakeholders to strengthen scholar transport, improve compliance and ensure that the safety and wellbeing of learners remain at the centre of all interventions.