More than 200,000 children across the Gauteng province remain unable to attend school as a strike by small bus operators, contracted and unpaid by the Gauteng Education Department, enters another day without resolution – despite what officials described as a breakthrough agreement reached just 24 hours earlier.
Community leaders and parents gathered in Villa Liza, Boksburg on Friday morning to voice their fury after not a single bus arrived to transport learners, directly contradicting assurances made by education authorities that services would resume today.
“We are very perplexed because the bus will be here by 7:00. So there’s no bus. They used to deceive us. They tell us the bus will be here, but no one honored that,” said a community leader who spoke on behalf of frustrated parents.
The leader, speaking from an unfinished school structure where some children have reportedly been sleeping, highlighted the severe financial toll on already struggling households.
“Remember such parents are unemployed. They got only five kids. You can count five kids, if you count that money per week, how much you lost due to unemployed,” he said.
Parents are now threatening to escalate their protest action against the department, which they accuse of failing to resolve the impasse with operators who halted services over non-payment.
Agreement Reached, But No Buses Arrive
The disruption follows a lengthy meeting yesterday between transport operators and the Khang Department of Education, which was also attended by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi.
According to Gauteng Education Department head Matome Chiloane, who committed during negotiations to process outstanding payments, an agreement was reached that should have seen buses back on the road this morning.
However, the community leader directly challenged this narrative, saying: “We are urging Matome Chiloane to come forth and meet with us.”
Parents are now demanding not only the immediate resumption of transport services but also academic remediation for lost learning time.
“Our kids didn’t attend school more than seven years, and also we, the mamas, the kids must catch up for what they didn’t do for a few weeks that they mess up the students,” the community leader said.
Budget Crisis Behind the Strike
The strike stems from a significant budgetary shortfall within the department’s learner transport programme. Sources indicate the department allocates approximately R1.1 billion for scholar transport, but current operational costs for the over 280,000 learners being transported across Gauteng province stand at nearly R1.9 billion – creating a deficit of R800 million.
Small bus operators, who are paid directly by the department, downed tools this week citing months of outstanding payments that have rendered their operations financially unsustainable.
Parents have now been forced to make their own arrangements to get children to school, with many unable to afford the mounting costs.
As the standoff continues with no indication of when buses will return, the department faces mounting pressure from all sides – struggling to meet contractual obligations while parents demand accountability and operators insist on payment before they will resume services.
The unfinished school in Villa Liza has become a gathering point for the protest, with parents vowing to remain until the department delivers on its promises.