Cape Town - As the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) and the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) go head-to-head in court on Friday over the scholar transport blockade, hundreds of pupils have allegedly not returned to school.
The department approached the Western Cape High Court last week where it filed an application to interdict Codeta from preventing all types of scholar transport from transporting pupils in Khayelitsha and surrounding areas.
An agreement was reached that the application be postponed for arguments to be heard on Friday at 10am.
Answering affidavits were submitted on Thursday.
Part of the agreement and court order was for Codeta not to obstruct or interfere with the transporting of pupils, including WCED’s contracted buses, and not to make threats pending the outcome of the hearing.
However, MEC David Maynier said this had not been the case, saying many pupils missed school on Monday.
“Last Friday, Codeta undertook to suspend its blockade, but our contracted learner transport scheme drivers continued to be harassed this week, with 1 800 learners missing school on Monday.
“This has since dropped to 990 learners staying home on Tuesday, and 880 on Wednesday.
“Our schools have been supporting learners by sharing take-home work packs with parents, but it is now imperative that our children return to school as soon as possible.
“We again call on Codeta to issue a public statement confirming its undertaking before the court not to threaten, intimidate, or prevent learner transport from operating in the Western Cape,” said Maynier.
He said that on Thursday morning they submitted papers to court, as the next step in their legal proceedings to “end the illegal blockade of learner transport by Codeta”.
Codeta spokesperson Andile Khanyi alleged the WCED was lying and that they had been abiding by the agreement to end the blockade.
“Since last year the MEC Maynier has not been honest with the public and this lie they are telling now before we go to court, is to tarnish our name so that this looks good for them in court.
As far as Codeta is concerned, we issued a notice that scholar transport can start operating again last Wednesday.
“This was with the exception of the department’s contracted buses, but when WCED took us to court on Friday we agreed that buses can also operate and they have been doing so.
“Even this week they operated with no disruptions and police are even escorting them.
“They like pretending that they care about our children,” said Khanyi.
Cape Times