KAROO NEWS - A total of 20 bicycles, helmets, bicycle pumps and locks to Nqweba Secondary School.  These bicycles were donated by the Department of Transport as part of their Shova Kalula project that was initiated in 2021 with the aim of providing low-cost mobility solutions to learners who do not qualify for formal school transport, thereby enabling them to access remote educational facilities.

According to ANC councillor Andile Nofemele the distribution of bicycles to the Nqweba learners was based on a needs assessment that he has done in his ward. 

“Every councillor has the prerogative to investigate the socio-economic needs in the ward that he or she is responsible for. Any gaps in the fulfilment of these needs must be identified and addressed to improve people’s lives,” says Nofemele. 

“Transportation for the Nqweba learners was identified as a huge challenge in my ward. Some of these learners stay as far as Riemvasmaak on the other side of town and have been experiencing a lot of difficulties getting to school. By providing them with bicycles, their transportation problems were resolved.”

To qualify for formal school transport primary school learners should live more than five kilometres from their schools and secondary school learners should live more than 10km from their schools. This means that only primary school and secondary school learners living more than three kilometres and less than five kilometres and 10km respectively from their schools qualify for the bicycles.

The department's goal is to distribute one million bicycles to deserving South Africans in the nine provinces. To date, more than 100 000 have already been distributed. The bicycles remain the property of the individual schools that formally applied to become part of the Shova Kalula project and must be passed on to other learners from year to year.

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