Eastern Cape transport MEC Xolile Nqatha has implored young people in the province to consider careers in the sector.
Nqatha was speaking after attending a service at the invitation of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa’s Cwecweni circuit in the rural hinterlands in Ngcobo on Sunday.
He said his department had invested more than R22m in assisting young people who aspired to pursue transport-related careers.
“In this financial year, the Eastern Cape department of transport has set aside a staggering R11.2m for bursaries for our learners to pursue transport-related careers.
“A further R11m has been allocated for internships,” Nqatha said.
“We encourage all young people to take advantage of these opportunities as part of shaping their future.”
On his visit to Cwecweni village, he also handed over 40 bicycles from the department to pupils from about 22 schools who have to walk long distances to get to their schools as they do not benefit from the state’s scholar transport programme.
The bicycles were included in an appeal from the church for assistance from the MEC.
Cwecweni circuit superintendent Rev Lwamkelo Gwaxaza told the Dispatch that when he joined the church in 2021 he had encouraged his congregants to not only care for each other but to also help those in need in the community.
“I highlighted that we could not be a church internally while people are struggling out there and battling poverty and hunger,” he said.
During Nelson Mandela Month, the church held various charity drives, with a special focus on education because “he [Madiba] was passionate about education”.
Gwaxaza said during the first year of the church’s charity programme, it had invited education MEC Fundile Gade, who gave bursaries to two young people from his own pocket.
The beneficiaries were now in their second year of medical studies at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, previously known as Medunsa.
Gade also donated R50,000 from his own pocket which the church had used to buy laptops for students from the area who did not get bursaries.
He said as the head of church in the area, his job also included working as a chaplain in more than 22 schools.
He had approached Nqatha while officiating at premier Oscar Mabuyane’s home in Deberha in rural Ngcobo in December 2023.
“I told him of the pain of seeing children who walk long distances to school.
“Most of them rent rooms in village homesteads.
“They are often taken care of by their grandmothers, which means the latter have to run two homes at the same time.
“This places a huge burden on them financially and they end up struggling with huge debts.”
He said some high school pupils walked about 15km or more to get to school.
On Sunday, Nqatha said education was critical to break the shackles of poverty.
He said the onus was on leaders and parents to encourage “our children” to take education seriously.
It was everyone’s responsibility to play their part in addressing issues facing young people by creating ample opportunities and providing them with the required skills.
He said every child had a constitutional right to education.
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