PARENTS CALL 999 FOR SCHOOLS CLOSURE

Resident of Mpolonjeni in Mbabane could not get to work yesterday morning as the road was flooded at an intersection. . (Pics: Sanele Mavuso)

MBABANE – The police toll-free emergency line 999 was flooded by calls made by angry parents who wanted the police to shut down schools.

This follows a stand taken by the Ministry of Education and Training that schools would not close despite that there were threats of cyclone Dineo.
The warning issued by the police that children and adults must not cross flooded rivers has proven to create confusion as it is in direct contrast with that of the Minister of Education and Training which calls for children to go to school.

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Khulani Mamba said at some point, he had to refer the angry parents to Government Spokesperson Percy Simelane because they would not listen to him.
“We tried to explain to the parents that police do not have the mandate to shut down schools, but government has, but they kept on insisting that the police close the schools,” he said.

Mamba said apart from the endless calls, they were thankful to God that the situation was not as bad as they had anticipated.
He lamented the death of the five-year-old preschooler who was knocked down by a car after he was turned back from preschool on Thursday.
A concern has been raised that parents and children were now not sure of whom to listen to especially in cases where their children have to cross rivers in order to get to school.

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