Pupils, teachers sick from sewage at Orange Farm school
The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in Orange
Farm has threatened to march to the offices of Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza
Lesufi over the raw sewage at Nomini Primary School.
The league’s Penuel Maduna says the sewage crisis at the school goes back as far as 2013.
Maduna adds the school was eventually closed after teachers and pupils started getting ill from raw sewage that was flowing into classrooms.
"But prior to the sewerage bursting, when the situation still a manageable situation, the principal [Surenshnee Govender] communicated with the Gauteng Department of Education, both the head office and the Johannesburg south district office about the problems faced by the school, but they did not respond," says Maduna.
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He warns that should the matter not be addressed soon parents and pupils will march to the Lesufi’s office.
Maduna believes this is proof that the department does not care about poorer schools.
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Spokesperson to the department, Steve Mabona says the issues of infrastructure at the school were identified last year. It was hoped that the school could pay for the repairs.
However, the department realised it was beyond the schools means to fix the rare sewage spillage at its premises.
"Yesterday [Monday] the officials went to the school to conduct some assessments, but today (Tuesday) the processes of refurbishment, the process of fixing of problems will begin," says Mabona.
Maduna says parents are concerned about the lost academic time.
"It is a challenge for those who are going to grade because it is a difficult grade when you enter grade 8, you must be prepared in primary [school]. Other parents are saying the school might be closed until October this year.”
Mabona says the process of relocating pupils to neighbouring schools have begun.