Parents at Gqeberha school want hazards addressed

Safety at schools is a concern for parents in some townships around Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape.

Disgruntled parents from Mzomtsha Primary School at KwaZakhele in Gqeberha, marched to the Department of Education’s regional offices complaining about the shortage of teachers and the state of the school infrastructure, saying it is a hazard to learners.

Sandile Rwexana is a parent at the school, “The actual problem at Mzomtsha is there is no fencing, the toilets are not working, learners must use a bucket when they have to relieve themselves in the toilet. Teachers are taken away from the school, it is only left with five teachers now.”

Meanwhile, the provincial Education Department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima has committed that they will ensure the issues at the school are resolved.

“The department has met with the SGB and the principal this week following last week’s meeting. A number of agreements were reached, one of them includes ensuring that the school forms part of the first batch that would be fenced in April 2025. Also, there should be a quick measure to ensure that the school has got proper toilet facilities and their physical planning unit plus Education Development Officer will all be visiting the school to assess and come up with the implementation.”