Events

MEC Vadi to handover 150 bicycles to Lawley learners

· By Press Office · 10 comments

Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi will on Wednesday, 27 July 2016, handover 150 bicycles to Stanley Ramoba Primary School learners in Lawley, south of Johannesburg.

The distribution of bicycles is part of the Shovakalula Bicycle Project which is a national initiative by the Department of Transport that seeks to provide ease of mobility to learners walking over 3km between home and school.

Furthermore, the project’s objective is aimed at maximizing the use of non-motorized transport to enable communities to access social opportunities. It also seeks to promote cycling as a low cost mobility solution to low income households, targeting mainly scholars.

The project has to date donated over thirty thousand bicycles throughout Gauteng to learners who meet the set qualification criteria to alleviate their mobility constraints and provide ease of access to learning institutions.

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Comments

GLuvsMtb

Jul 27, 2016, 9:22 AM

just in time for the local elections. A free T Shirt and a Streetwise 2 is no longer enough to swing the vote in Gauteng it seems...

Broker

Jul 27, 2016, 9:33 AM

A great initiative but their timing spells only one thing - Election time so let's buy some votes.

 

just to add - most probably using taxpayers money to fund buying votes

Sarge

Jul 27, 2016, 11:01 AM

Most probably getting the bikes from his brother's new shop as well

Frank.Hutt

Jul 27, 2016, 11:08 AM

So helping the kids is not seen as more beneficial than griping about politics or whatever reasons to detract from a really good initiative?

GLuvsMtb

Jul 27, 2016, 11:15 AM

So helping the kids is not seen as more beneficial than griping about politics or whatever reasons to detract from a really good initiative?

Ok so did the politicians also show the kids how to look after the bikes? Can they patch a tube or lube a chain if needed? Did they get helmets and bicycle locks to protect them and their assets? Dropping bikes to these kids assists them for a few months tops. Thereafter I venture to guess that more than 80% of these bikes break down or are sold on. Its like handing out farms and not teaching people to farm.

Broker

Jul 27, 2016, 11:24 AM

So helping the kids is not seen as more beneficial than griping about politics or whatever reasons to detract from a really good initiative?

As I said a Great Initiative.

 

Why don't they do it on a regular basis and only now a few days before election. Time to wake up and see our politicians for what they really are.

Guest notmyname

Jul 27, 2016, 11:42 AM

Its like handing out farms and not teaching people to farm.

This grates my carrot. Last month I was at a mango farm that was grabbed and handed over. The new owner raped the mango trees to the point where they are no longer productive and will need to be replaced. Said farm is now for sale for R750k.

 

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Edge_Design

Jul 27, 2016, 11:42 AM

So helping the kids is not seen as more beneficial than griping about politics or whatever reasons to detract from a really good initiative?

 

It's a great initiative, but people are (understandably) questioning the intentions.

 

It's fascinating reading the history of the project. In 2001 the target was 1,000,000 bicycles by 2010. In 2014 they had distributed 95,000 nationally. Great success - 9.5% of the target and 4 years late!

 

Every time they "hand over" 50 bicycles (at a budgeted cost of R75k) they have a ceremony for it with the press etc invited which probably costs 10 times as much. This was 71 bicycles earlier this year -- "The MEC responsible for Transport, Safety, Security and Liaison, Ms Mapula Mokaba-Phukwana has the pleasure of inviting you to Witness the distribution of bicycle to the Leaners of Capricorn District (Molemole Municipality) at Nthabiseng Secondary School."

 

How much do you think today's "ceremony" will cost with MEC's and blue light convoys there? The bikes are only worth R225k of taxpayers money. I'm guessing the options were 150 bikes and the ceremony or 200+ bikes with no ceremony - which would you choose?

 

You really don't think this is politics?

BDF

Jul 28, 2016, 9:27 AM

They should rather just fund Qubekha.

Danger Dassie

Jul 28, 2016, 11:53 AM

Ok so did the politicians also show the kids how to look after the bikes? Can they patch a tube or lube a chain if needed? Did they get helmets and bicycle locks to protect them and their assets? Dropping bikes to these kids assists them for a few months tops. Thereafter I venture to guess that more than 80% of these bikes break down or are sold on. Its like handing out farms and not teaching people to farm.

 

Generally yes, but not the politicians obviously. The Shova Kalula project has been around for a good few years, with involvement from both Qhubeka and BEN to map out the processes of handovers which includes tools and maintenance, although I'm not sure how the partnerships have expanded over time.

 

 

That aside I've no doubt that politicians across the board try and leverage the political canvassing potential. However there are incredibly committed people working in the background with these projects without a focus on any of the politics involved, even though they have to deal with the bureaucracy of the politicians and public alike. 

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