MPs urge help for learners caught up in Cape Town taxi violence

A parliamentary committee has asked the Department of Basic Education to step in over the taxi violence in Cape Town’s townships, which flared up just as the year-end exams got under way. The Citizen reported that the call came on Saturday from the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries.

Committee chairperson Makhi Feni said some vehicles used as scholar transport appeared to have been targeted. Matric learners were reportedly among those affected.

What happened this week

The committee said tensions in the Western Cape taxi industry had been building since Tuesday. They became openly violent on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Thursday morning, during the peak rush hour, taxi operators reportedly shot at one another at the Delft taxi rank. Some operators were reportedly killed. The committee said the shooting put many commuters in danger, and Feni said he was deeply worried that it was so indiscriminate.

Feni stressed that children must be kept out of such conflicts. He said the violence should never touch learners.

Questions for the education departments

Feni said the matter concerns the national department as well as the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). He asked for information on which learners were affected and what support they were receiving.

He also said the psychological harm should not be overlooked. “The trauma our children experienced should concern us all,” he said, even if no learner was physically hurt.

In his view, it is not enough that pupils managed to reach their exam centres. He said counselling and safe travel to and from the townships should be a priority.

Feni also asked what the WCED would do for any learner who missed a paper or arrived late. He wanted to know how those pupils would be helped to catch up so that they do not lose the year because of the violence.

What this means for families and operators

The committee has urged scholar transport operators affected by the violence to report to the WCED. This will help the department record accurate numbers of learners who were affected.

• Operators whose vehicles or routes were disrupted are encouraged to contact the WCED.
• Parents of learners who missed or were late for an exam may want to speak to their child’s school about what support is available.
• The committee is waiting for guidance from the national department on the way forward.

This story is based on reporting by The Citizen.