Minister Chikunga urges parents to vet school transport following tragic learner deaths

The Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, has urged parents to personally vet school transport drivers and their vehicles.

Chikunga was speaking on Sunday at the joint funeral service for Thato Moetji, Ofentse Vinger, and Bokamoso Mokhobo, held in Sebokeng, south of Johannesburg.

The three learners were among 14 who died when a taxi they were travelling in collided with a truck in Vanderbijlpark earlier this week.

The Minister said that while the government works on strengthening regulations and enforcement in the school transport sector, parents also have a responsibility to ensure the safety of vehicles carrying their children.

“The tragic and untimely death of these children is a deep and painful reminder to our nation that many South Africans perish on our roads. Let us speak plainly about the rights of a child, not as soft poetry but as binding principles.”