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ARSON ATTACKS: SOME SCHOOLS STILL NOT FIXED

30/01/2023 08:31:00 Thokozani Mamba

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SITEKI – “I sit under a tree as the school’s administration block has not yet been reconstructed after the arson attack in 2021.”

This statement was made by Mahlabaneni Primary School Head teacher Praise Dlamini, when lamenting that there had not been any refurbishments to the school after being petrol-bombed by unknown people during the unrest. His school is among 12 others with classrooms that were destroyed during the unrest that erupted between 2021 and 2022, but have not yet been reconstructed by government. The head teacher claimed that he would be compelled to do some of this work under a tree if there were no free classrooms.

Conditions

He said he was working under harsh conditions, as he had to ensure that he used an alternative place than to convert a classroom into a staffroom. The head teacher shared that he could not use a classroom as such could disturb the smooth progress of lessons. “I have been stationed under a tree as our administration block has still not yet been reconstructed. Officials from Micro-Projects came to assess the damage and we thought work will start soon but that did not happen,” he said. Mpompotha High School’s library was also torched but the Head teacher, Jabu Dlamini, said they had since converted a classroom into a library, as government had not yet rebuilt the structure.

Jabu said she converted the classroom into a library to ensure that her pupils were able to read books as reference to their lessons during their spare time. “I was told that the Office of the REO has forwarded a request to Micro-Projects. I am new in the school and found that our library was destroyed during the arson attacks, hence I had to convert a classroom into a library,” she said. Worth mentioning is that a fortnight ago, three classrooms at Nkalashane High were petrol-bombed by unknown people, with books and furniture being destroyed, including the roofing after one of the burnt classrooms was turned into a staffroom due to ongoing renovation to the administration block.

Torched

Another school whose administration block was also torched by unknown people in February last year is Malindza High. Lubombo Regional Education Officer (REO) Richard Dlamini said he was yet to make a follow-up on the matter. “Thanks for raising the issue as I have reports that some structures were renovated and I was not aware that there were some that have not been refurbished,” he said. Micro-Project Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sibusiso Mbingo, referred questions to the Ministry of Education and Training, stating that they were an implementation agency. He had been asked how much government had set aside for the reconstruction of schools destroyed during the unrest through Micro-Projects as some structures had not yet been reconstructed.

Ministry of Public Works and Transport Principal Secretary (PS) Thulani Mkhaliphi, said his office had not received a request for the renovation and reconstruction of structures in the affected schools. “The Ministry of Education and Training has to report to us and then we act based on the information extended to my ministry,” he said. His counterpart in the Ministry of Education and Training Bheki Gama said Parliament was yet to approve the ministry’s budget for the current financial year starting in April, hence the reconstruction and refurbishment of structures in schools was a priority.

Reconstruct

“It is in our plans to reconstruct and renovate some of the structures that were affected in schools during the unrest. We are still waiting for Parliament to approve our budget for the current financial year then we will commence work in those schools,” he said. When asked about the projected budget for the reconstruction process, the PS said he would be able to divulge figures once the ministry’s budget had been approved. Meanwhile, in the second week of the Junior Certificate (JC) examinations in February last year, three high schools namely Nkilij, Mcozini and Malindza, were invaded by unknown men, who petrol-bombed some of the buildings and left them with spray-painted messages suggesting that they would soon return. At Malindza High School, the damages were estimated to be in the region of E100 000, which included books and furniture.