By Marcus Moloko
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for a shift in the transport system following a devastating accident that claimed the lives of twelve learners on Monday, where a minibus taxi they were travelling in collided with a truck in Vanderbijlpark.
Speaking outside the 2026 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla venue, he described the incident as a moment of deep national pain.
“There’s nothing as painful as having to deal with the death of your prized possession, your child, who is still young, and have to bury him or her,” Ramaphosa said.
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Ramaphosa also touched on systemic issues surrounding scholar transport. He pointed out that, unlike in many other countries where children were ferried in clearly marked school buses, driven by trained professionals, South Africa had largely relied on the taxi industry to fill the gap.
“We have inherited a system where there has been no real public transport for children to go to school. And so the taxi system then integrated itself in transporting children,” he explained.
While acknowledging that taxis have played a crucial role in ensuring access to education, Ramaphosa stressed that the current model carries significant risks.
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He called for urgent dialogue between government and taxi operators to improve safety standards.
Referencing his own childhood when he used to walk five kilometers to school, he said progress was made in expanding access to scholar transport, particularly in rural township areas.
He noted that more than 750,000 children now benefit from government-supported transport daily, a significant achievement compared to his own childhood when he had to walk five kilometers to school.
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“This success is shadowed by risks that must be addressed,” he cautioned.
“Embedded in it are all these risks. So we therefore are going to be directing the minister, transport, and all the others to look at how we can save the lives of our children,” he said.
The President emphasized that children are the nation’s most treasured resource and that their safety must be prioritized.
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