Bus drivers and their assistants at the Khayelitsha Special School have downed the tools in demand of their salaries. The drivers have allegedly not been paid for at least two months and vowed to continue their protest until they received their monies.
The school, in Makhabeni Road, works with learners with learning difficulties from Khayelitsha and the surrounding communities, including Mfuleni. The learners are picked up from their homes in the morning and dropped off in the afternoon. However, this service has been significantly hindered in recent months, and most learners have been left stranded at home by the protest.
On Tuesday 8 May, City Vision visited the school to talk to the drivers and assess the situation. We were denied access on safety concerns.
One of the drivers, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, described their working conditions as appalling. He accused the school principal of making empty promises.
“We didn’t get paid in both March and April. At the end of March, when we were supposed to get paid, the principal told us there was no money and she asked us to work, promising we would get paid soon. The month ended (March) without our being paid. We continued working in April. At that time the principal kept promising we would be paid soon. We wanted to strike on Friday 25 April demanding our money. She asked us again and vowed we would receive our salaries on Monday 28 April, but that didn’t happen.”
Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the department was in discussions with the school-governing body (SGB). “All special schools are informed that the Annual Subsidy Allocation is typically disbursed in April/May each year. In light of this schools are advised to manage their budgets appropriately… The [department] has already prepared the Annual Subsidy Allocations for all special schools and is in the process of securing the necessary approval to release the funds.”
She said the responsibility for employing and remunerating general workers lay with the SGB. “This is carried out through the Annual Subsidy Allocation provided by the WCED, which enables the SGB to compile a budget and manage the payment of service personnel,” Hammond said.
She said the school remained operational and classes were continuing as scheduled, with teachers present and on duty. However, she pointed it was reported that certain drivers and class assistants had withdrawn their services and allegedly issued threats concerning the continuation of learner-transport services.
“These developments are being monitored closely, and we are engaging with the SGB members to resolve the matter,” said Hammond.
City Vision understands a meeting was held on Tuesday at the district office to resolve the impasse. However, it ended abruptly after chaos erupted.
