As accidents involving schoolchildren continue to make news, justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola is aiming to raise funds for 200 mountain bicycles to donate to underprivileged pupils.
TimesLIVE reported last month that budgetary constraints are preventing the KwaZulu-Natal education department from providing deserving pupils with state-funded transport to and from school.
Department head Nkosinathi Ngcobo said 60,000 pupils were provided with transport, but the demand was for more than 100,000.
Scholar transport was back in the headlines recently when 18 children and two adults were killed in a collision between a bakkie and a truck in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal.
Lamola launched the MTB Challenge in 2020 to help raise funds to secure mountain bikes for young children in rural areas. In its first year it managed to donate 100 bikes, and 135 the following year.
“I think cycling is a relatable sport and every child at some point is fascinated by a bicycle. In most communities, particularly black ones, bicycles are a cheap mode of transport. Ideally, we would like to improve our scholar transport capacity. It is not ideal that children would have to cycle extremely long distances to school, but where the distances are within a reasonable distance, we should encourage children to cycle to schools. This has positive health benefits,” said Lamola.
This year they aim to donate 200 bikes, with an event at Asidlale Adventure Park in Leeuwkop, which will help raise funds.
The event will consist of both cycling and trail-running races and proceeds will go towards purchasing bicycles.
Entry for the event on November 5 is R250, with 5km, 10km, 30km and 45km races. There is also a 5 and 10km trail run.
You can enter here.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
Transport deathtraps: Lamola wants to give mountain bikes to rural pupils — here's how you can help
Image: Freddy Mavunda
As accidents involving schoolchildren continue to make news, justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola is aiming to raise funds for 200 mountain bicycles to donate to underprivileged pupils.
TimesLIVE reported last month that budgetary constraints are preventing the KwaZulu-Natal education department from providing deserving pupils with state-funded transport to and from school.
Department head Nkosinathi Ngcobo said 60,000 pupils were provided with transport, but the demand was for more than 100,000.
Scholar transport was back in the headlines recently when 18 children and two adults were killed in a collision between a bakkie and a truck in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal.
Lamola launched the MTB Challenge in 2020 to help raise funds to secure mountain bikes for young children in rural areas. In its first year it managed to donate 100 bikes, and 135 the following year.
“I think cycling is a relatable sport and every child at some point is fascinated by a bicycle. In most communities, particularly black ones, bicycles are a cheap mode of transport. Ideally, we would like to improve our scholar transport capacity. It is not ideal that children would have to cycle extremely long distances to school, but where the distances are within a reasonable distance, we should encourage children to cycle to schools. This has positive health benefits,” said Lamola.
This year they aim to donate 200 bikes, with an event at Asidlale Adventure Park in Leeuwkop, which will help raise funds.
The event will consist of both cycling and trail-running races and proceeds will go towards purchasing bicycles.
Entry for the event on November 5 is R250, with 5km, 10km, 30km and 45km races. There is also a 5 and 10km trail run.
You can enter here.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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