North West Legislature Acts to Resolve Scholar Transport Payment Crisis

The North West Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management, chaired by Freddy Sonakile, has moved swiftly to address the ongoing payment crisis affecting scholar transport service providers in the province.

This comes after several service providers in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District suspended learner transport services due to non-payment, leaving many pupils stranded since Monday. “This disruption directly infringes on learners’ constitutional right to education,” said Sonakile in a firm statement.

According to the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, an intense full-day meeting was held with affected service providers to address their concerns. The department acknowledged the urgency of the matter and committed to clearing all outstanding payments by Friday, 9 May 2025.

In a bid to ensure transparency and urgency, the Committee has implemented daily oversight measures. Starting today, 6 May 2025, the Head of Department, Dr. Hans Kekana, is required to submit daily proof of payment to the Committee after 14h00 to confirm that disbursements are being made on time. The department attributes the delays to recent technical glitches in the BAS (Basic Accounting System), which have now been resolved.

The Committee also reminded the public of its ongoing efforts to implement sustainable, long-term solutions to prevent future disruptions in learner transport services. These include:

1. Implementation of ‘Rea Patala’ Invoice Tracking System
As of 1 April 2025, the department adopted the ‘Rea Patala’ invoice tracking system—an initiative driven by the Committee to enhance payment efficiency. Staff were trained on the system yesterday by the National Public Works ICT Unit.

2. Submission of Business Case to Address Funding Gaps
While the department has been allocated R85 million for the 2025/2026 financial year, it faces a shortfall of R150 million. A detailed business case is being submitted to the Provincial Treasury to seek urgent funding support.

3. Provincial Scholar Transport Summit Planned
Plans are in motion for a comprehensive Provincial Scholar Transport Summit later this year. The summit will bring together key stakeholders—including service providers, Treasury, the Department of Education, school principals, SGBs, and the Portfolio Committee—to develop a consolidated provincial policy on learner transport. This will help clarify roles, strengthen monitoring, and enforce accountability.

The Committee has appealed to service providers to continue transporting learners while the Department finalizes payments this week. Chairperson Sonakile warned that if payments are not settled by Friday, strong consequence management measures will be pursued against officials responsible for the delays.