Masoka Dube

Masoka Dube

Residents of Marite in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga were happy when government donated more than 50 bicycles to schoolchildren.

Now they're angry because some parents and siblings are using the bicycles for their own purposes.

The residents approached Sowetan to expose the problem.

"These people are using the children's bicycles to go to work while others ride them for fun. We are appealing to the government to intervene, before this practice gets out of hand," said Zodwa Dlamini.

Another resident, Sipho Mkhabela, said: "What these people are doing is shocking because some of them are using the bicycles to go to local taverns."

And now most of the schoolchildren are again walking to school .

When the residents asked why children's bicycles were being used by adults, instead of the recipients, the cyclists claimed the bikes were theirs.

Sowetan then started an investigation. One man we approached refused to give his name.

He said: "I bought this bike, leave me alone."

A spokesman for the department of roads and transport in Mpumalanga, Vukani Mnyandu, said they would investigate.

"We were not aware of what is going on but we will try to find out," said Mnyandu.