BARELY a month since six pupils were killed in a bakkie accident in the Eastern Cape, a further four died this week on their way from school in the Transkei.
The four pupils, aged between 16 and 18, were from Jikindaba Senior Secondary School in Marhamzweni village near Flagstaff.
They were being transported in a van hired by their parents to ferry them to school because the Eastern Cape government’s scholar trans port system was had reportedly been discontinued for their village about three years ago.
Eastern Cape Arrive Alive spokesman Tshepo Machaea said the Toyota Hilux allegedly went out of lost control be tween Holy Cross Hospital and Mthontsasa Police Station near Mkhambatha Nature Reserve.
The van overturned, and several pupils fell out in the process.
“Three pupils died at the scene and six were taken to Holy Cross Hospital but one died after being admitted. The other three are in a serious condition,” said Machaea.
He said the driver and pupils who survived had fled the scene in a state of shock but police had later found the driver.
Flagstaff police spokesman Captain Mduduzi Godlwana confirmed the accident and said: “We have opened a case of reckless and negligent driving but the driver has not been arrested. He appeared confused and we are investigating on what happened exactly,” said Godlwana.
Pumza Nyama, at teacher at neighbouring Ntabezwe Junior Secondary School, said the accident had happened around 3pm on Monday.
“When I got there, the accident had just happened. The car failed to negotiate a curve – not a very sharp one The canopy was wrecked,” said Nyama.
“The pupils who were flung out were still lying on the ground. Some had crushed skulls. and with some we could see their brain spilled on the ground. It’s clear the driver was speeding because their bodies were lying quite a distance apart.”
Nyama said some parents in Flagstaff had been left with no choice but to contract vans after scholar transport was stopped about three years ago.
Mkhankomo Junior Secondary School principal Zuko Lurwengu, who was among the first on the scene, said the accident happened around 3pm, about 60km from the school.
“When we got there we saw the car upside down and and pupils’ brains splattered on the road. Some pupils were screaming for help. Bloodied lunch- boxes and books were scattered on the ground,” he said.
“I immediately called their principal, the ambulance and the police,” he said, adding that it looked as if the driver had been speeding and had failed to negotiate a curve.
High school principal Andile Lukope said they were saddened by the accident because the his pupils became like his own children.
He confirmed that his school was not part of the government’s scholar transport programme.
After a review last year some pupils who had earlier qualified were later dis qualified.
“We have ap plied for our pupils to be included,” he said.
The criterion to qualify was a return distance of to and from the school was 10km.
Although the four pupils qualified in terms of distance, they were disqualified be cause there was a high school closer to their homes.
“But they reason they came here was because the school closer to them is full,” he said.
Last month six pupils from Mabalengwe Senior Secondary School in Libode died when the bakkie they were in flipped.
The bakkie had reportedly been hired by a subcontractor on who was given the contract to transport pupils as part of the province’s scholar transport system.
At the funeral of the Mabeleng we Senior Secondary School pupils, roads and transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu said vans were meant for transporting goods, not people.
Education provincial spokesman Loyiso Pulumani could not be reached for comment at the time of going to press and he did not respond to an SMS sent earlier.
In response to reports that there was no scholar transport in the Flagstaff area, the Eastern Cape transport department’s director of public transport Phumpzile Mayaphi said there was not enough money to transport pupils in all districts.
“The demand for scholar trans port is greater than the province can afford in terms of the budget. It is not only Flagstaff that is affected; most districts can’t provide scholar transport for all the children who live a distance away.”
He said the department had a budget of R210-million for 2012-13 but needed more that R400-million. — , and
Another 4 schoolkids killed
The four pupils, aged between 16 and 18, were from Jikindaba Senior Secondary School in Marhamzweni village near Flagstaff.
They were being transported in a van hired by their parents to ferry them to school because the Eastern Cape government’s scholar trans port system was had reportedly been discontinued for their village about three years ago.
Eastern Cape Arrive Alive spokesman Tshepo Machaea said the Toyota Hilux allegedly went out of lost control be tween Holy Cross Hospital and Mthontsasa Police Station near Mkhambatha Nature Reserve.
The van overturned, and several pupils fell out in the process.
“Three pupils died at the scene and six were taken to Holy Cross Hospital but one died after being admitted. The other three are in a serious condition,” said Machaea.
He said the driver and pupils who survived had fled the scene in a state of shock but police had later found the driver.
Flagstaff police spokesman Captain Mduduzi Godlwana confirmed the accident and said: “We have opened a case of reckless and negligent driving but the driver has not been arrested. He appeared confused and we are investigating on what happened exactly,” said Godlwana.
Pumza Nyama, at teacher at neighbouring Ntabezwe Junior Secondary School, said the accident had happened around 3pm on Monday.
“When I got there, the accident had just happened. The car failed to negotiate a curve – not a very sharp one The canopy was wrecked,” said Nyama.
“The pupils who were flung out were still lying on the ground. Some had crushed skulls. and with some we could see their brain spilled on the ground. It’s clear the driver was speeding because their bodies were lying quite a distance apart.”
Nyama said some parents in Flagstaff had been left with no choice but to contract vans after scholar transport was stopped about three years ago.
Mkhankomo Junior Secondary School principal Zuko Lurwengu, who was among the first on the scene, said the accident happened around 3pm, about 60km from the school.
“When we got there we saw the car upside down and and pupils’ brains splattered on the road. Some pupils were screaming for help. Bloodied lunch- boxes and books were scattered on the ground,” he said.
“I immediately called their principal, the ambulance and the police,” he said, adding that it looked as if the driver had been speeding and had failed to negotiate a curve.
High school principal Andile Lukope said they were saddened by the accident because the his pupils became like his own children.
He confirmed that his school was not part of the government’s scholar transport programme.
After a review last year some pupils who had earlier qualified were later dis qualified.
“We have ap plied for our pupils to be included,” he said.
The criterion to qualify was a return distance of to and from the school was 10km.
Although the four pupils qualified in terms of distance, they were disqualified be cause there was a high school closer to their homes.
“But they reason they came here was because the school closer to them is full,” he said.
Last month six pupils from Mabalengwe Senior Secondary School in Libode died when the bakkie they were in flipped.
The bakkie had reportedly been hired by a subcontractor on who was given the contract to transport pupils as part of the province’s scholar transport system.
At the funeral of the Mabeleng we Senior Secondary School pupils, roads and transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu said vans were meant for transporting goods, not people.
Education provincial spokesman Loyiso Pulumani could not be reached for comment at the time of going to press and he did not respond to an SMS sent earlier.
In response to reports that there was no scholar transport in the Flagstaff area, the Eastern Cape transport department’s director of public transport Phumpzile Mayaphi said there was not enough money to transport pupils in all districts.
“The demand for scholar trans port is greater than the province can afford in terms of the budget. It is not only Flagstaff that is affected; most districts can’t provide scholar transport for all the children who live a distance away.”
He said the department had a budget of R210-million for 2012-13 but needed more that R400-million. — , and
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