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Following the tragic death of seven school children in a horrific accident in
Imbali township in Pietermaritzburg the IFP in KwaZulu-Natal calls on the KZN
Provincial Government to stop investing money to organise funerals and rather
provide safe transport for our scholars.

"It's high time that this government stops talking about scholar transport and
actually implement it in areas where our children have to commute long distance
to acquire an education. We are tired of seeing MECs delivering speeches full of
empty promises whenever our young children perish on the roads. For years now
MECs have been talking of providing appropriate transport and outlawing the
transportation of learners on bakkies - but it still goes on and our children
are dying. The Department of Transport and the Department of Education have been
passing the buck from one to the other with no resolution in sight", said IFP
Spokesperson on Education, Mrs Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, MPL.

"The MEC of Transport has promised many times in the past to fast track a policy
to ban bakkies being used to transport children but to date nothing has happened
and children are still dying. MECs Willies Mchunu and Peggy Nkonyeni must tell
us how many more children must die before they act decisively. It would appear
that these MECs do not have the will or the capacity to conduct an audit to
ascertain where scholar transport is needed. Seven young lives have been cut
short at the start of this academic year and there is still no solution in
sight. This is unacceptable and has to end without further delays", concluded
Mrs kaMadlopha-Mthethwa.

The IFP sends sincere condolences to the families, educators and friends of the
seven children who lost their lives in this tragic accident.

Issued by IFP