- Lifalethu Mbasana, an 11-year-old boy, was forced to walk 35km from Simon’s Town to Khayelitsha after a Golden Arrow bus driver left him behind for not having a ticket.
- His mother, Xolelwa Mbasana, has accused the bus company of using the driver’s suspension as a smokescreen and has vowed to fight for justice and ensure the company takes responsibility for her son’s traumatic experience.
- The incident has sparked widespread outrage and support, with the family receiving messages and gifts from around the world, and the bus company offering counselling and a free ticket for the rest of the term.
The mother of an 11-year-old boy, Lifalethu Mbasana, has vowed to fight until the bitter end to ensure justice prevailed for her son.
Xolelwa Mbasana has accused Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) of using the suspension of a driver, who left her son in Simon’s Town, as a smokescreen.
Lifalethu made headlines last week after he was forced to walk from Simon’s Town to Mandela Park, Khayelitsha, for failing to produce his bus ticket. It is alleged that on Monday 22 July, the driver picked up his siblings, who later alerted the family to Lifalethu’s plight.
A search immediately ensued for the Grade 6 learner to no avail. His image was also posted on social media. It was only later in the day when he eventually arrived home, having walked roughly 35 km from Simon’s Town to Khayelitsha.
An irate mother accused GABS of suspending the driver after feeling the pressure from the public. She said she won’t let it lie like that. “My son was traumatised by walking the whole distance from Simon’s Town to Khayelitsha. I was also mad when I heard that my son was left behind because he lost his ticket. GABS doesn’t care. If it was not for the public outcry, they would not have provided any counselling for us,” said Mbasana. She vowed to fight against the company without sharing the details of her next move.
Narrating how she felt when Lifalethu arrived home accompanied by law enforcement officers later that night.
“I cried in front of my children, something that I never did. I was so emotional I couldn’t contain myself. While at that time he was smiling saying, ‘Mom I’m fine, look at me’. He hugged me, but I was crying,” said traumatised mom.
Mbasana said her children only started using Golden Arrow a week earlier. They were previously dropped at school by their father, but a mechanical fault to his vehicle prompted the family to opt for the bus.
She thanked everyone and the public for their support during this difficult time.
Mbasana said she also received messages of support from people outside the country. “There were lots of messages and presents that we received from different people and different organisations after the incident. For example, this coming weekend there is a guest house in Muizenberg that offers to accommodate the whole family to stay there for the whole weekend,” explained Mbasana.
GABS spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said the bus company can confirm that its policy is to assist uniformed scholars in exceptional situations where they have lost their tickets and that the driver who failed to do so has been suspended.
“A disciplinary process will now take place. We cannot speculate on what the outcome of this process will be. We have undertaken to review all mechanisms related to lost scholar tickets to ensure that protocol is followed in such cases,” said Dyke-Beyer.
She said Golden Arrow was involved in the search for the learner, and they have been in contact with his parents, having visited his home on the same night (22 July). She said the company has also provided Lifalethu with a ticket that can be used for the rest of the term on the bus and arranged for family counselling.
“In circumstances where unaccompanied minors are making use of our services, we would ask parents to assist us by ensuring that their children are able to contact them in an emergency situation and that they advise their children on what to do in a situation where they are not able to catch their bus for whatever reason. An example of this could be phoning their parents, returning to school, contacting the transport information centre or making their way to a police station,” she said, adding that they would also encourage parents to register their children’s Gold Cards so that they can be easily traced and replaced,” she said.
