By Thapelo Molefe
Claims of mismanagement in KwaZulu-Natal’s scholar transport programme have been rejected by the provincial transport department, with it hitting out at the provincial Treasury for one-sided communication.
It said in a statement on Wednesday that it had been inundated with media queries following a release from the Treasury and the circulation of video clips about the programme.
“We reject the silo mentality that is now characterising the overall management of the scholar transport programme. The leaking of official correspondence is not only a security breach, but also the worst form of unethical conduct,” the department said.
It added that the narrative created around the matter appeared to be part of a smear campaign against transport MEC Siboniso Duma, despite his involvement in initiating corrective measures.
The department outlined that the provincial executive council had mandated Duma, education MEC Sipho Hlomuka and finance MEC Francois Rodgers to meet and develop a programme of action in response to severe budget cuts affecting scholar transport.
The three met on 5 June at the provincial legislature in a gathering facilitated by Duma. The meeting considered the economic challenges facing the province and the impact of funding reductions on the transport of learners.
According to the department, it was agreed that the cuts could result in significant disruptions to education, with many learners potentially unable to attend school if transport services were reduced.
The meeting also addressed the pending expiry of scholar transport contracts.
In his presentation, Duma highlighted the importance of maintaining strict oversight over supply chain management processes during the awarding of new contracts.
The department said this proved that concerns about procurement had first been raised by Duma himself, contrary to claims made by Treasury.
The three MECs further agreed to adopt a uniform approach that would inform discussions before the PEC and embark on a community outreach programme with stakeholders, including school governing bodies, unions, student representatives and civil society. This plan was later endorsed by the PEC.
“The issue of scholar transport featured very strongly in the provincial communication strategy. On 22 July, MEC Duma informed the Portfolio Committee on Transport that the three MECs were mandated to engage communities on the challenges and proposed interventions,” the department said.
It accused the Provincial Treasury of issuing a selective media statement that failed to reflect the collaborative approach agreed upon by the three MECs.
It also condemned the leaking of correspondence between executive authorities, describing it as both unethical and damaging to good governance.
“Those who are involved must be condemned unreservedly. No amount of explanation and spinning will make this conduct acceptable,” the statement read.
The department stressed that, from the beginning, Duma had relied on supply chain checks and balances developed under previous administrations, with Treasury acting as custodian of those processes.
“Anything else is intended to mislead and to hog media headlines,” it added.
Rodgers has moved to reassure the public that current scholar transport services will continue uninterrupted, despite his decision to halt the awarding of a new tender.
Speaking at a DA event last week, he said he had received reports of alleged irregularities in the awarding of tenders for both the provincial school feeding scheme and scholar transport.
Finance department spokesperson Steven Benghu confirmed that Rodgers had instructed the transport department to restart the scholar transport tender process.
“KZN Treasury will monitor the process to ensure adherence to supply chain management prescripts. It is important to state that this process refers to a new tender and will not have a bearing on a tender that is currently operational,” Benghu said.
Rodgers insisted that irregularities were largely the result of officials who had grown accustomed to ignoring financial regulations.
“I believe the biggest part of the problem lies with officials who have been so brainwashed and so accustomed to doing what it is that they like. They’re no longer compliant with legislation when it comes to the expenditure of money. That’s something we need to deal with and we need to deal with it quickly,” Rodgers said.
The scholar transport programme in KZN has faced challenges for years ranging from budget pressures to service delivery failures.
The Auditor-General previously flagged irregularities in procurement processes, while parents and communities have raised concerns about delays, overcrowding and the safety of vehicles.
The current round of cuts, discussed in June, has raised fears of widespread disruption if contracts lapse or services are scaled down.
However, the transport said it was committed to ensuring learners were not left stranded and interventions were communicated transparently to the public.
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