The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal has been approached for urgent help by the Student Governing Body (SGB) of a Durban-based senior primary school. This after ongoing storm damage to school infrastructure, over the past two years, has led to 195 learners being squashed into two classrooms.
The school, Sizimisele Senior Primary, which is located in Ward 9 eThekwini, currently has only two out of its six classrooms operational due to storm damage to the asbestos roofing from as far back as 2020. The condition of the asbestos roof has been deteriorating ever since and there are now huge holes. (view here)
As a result, the four classrooms are flooded, as is the school’s kitchen area. (view here) This has also led to learners not receiving any meals.
The current SGB, the former SGB and school management have followed all procedures, reporting the initial damage to KZN’s Department of Education (DoE) some two years ago and following up more recently about the additional damage (view here). Despite their pleas, to date, nothing has been done.
The DoE also ignored an official letter, sent in April 2021, from eThekwini’s Health and Environmental Services (view here and here), in which they essentially state that the school should be condemned, given its condition.
The DA is angered by KZN Education MEC, Kwazi Mshengu, and his department’s apparent disinterest in the plight of educators and learners at this school. Instead, hungry learners are being crammed into a confined space – during a global health pandemic – and proper teaching and learning is being severely affected.
Until recently, staff and learners have also had to sit in classrooms where they were exposed to hazardous material in the form of asbestos. This is unacceptable. The long-term inhalation of asbestos is linked to lung cancer.
The tragedy is that a fully functional junior primary, which is not full, is just 500 metres away. One would think that the MEC and his department would pursue combining the two schools – even if it is a temporary situation while repairs are made. Clearly they just don’t care.
The DA is aware that a programme to replace KZN’s so-called asbestos schools is planned within the Department and that the infrastructure budget has now recovered to the point where work can be done. We have submitted detailed parliamentary questions on this matter to the MEC and look forward to his response.
For now, we call on MEC Mshengu to conduct an immediate conduct inspection at Sizimisele Senior Primary and ensure that it is prioritised for repair. This must be accompanied by a revised audit on KZN’s storm damaged schools so that those which require the most urgent attention are prioritised.
KZN’s learners can no longer be compromised when it comes to receiving the education which is their Constitutional right. The DA expects the MEC to act without any further delay.
