COLD FRONT, SIBAYA: ALL PUPILS EXPECTED IN CLASS - MINISTER

NHLANGANO - Minister of Education and Training Lady Mabuza has said pupils are expected to be at school today as they will not be closed because of the cold front currently being experienced.

This was after some teachers, who were called after school yesterday to find out how their lessons proceeded, shared that they had difficulties teaching as some pupils were complaining of the cold. The teachers shared that they even allowed other pupils to wear non-uniform jackets on top of the school uniform because of the cold weather. “You could tell that there was nothing they were grasping as they kept wrapping their arms around the body to try and keep warm,” narrated one of the teachers who asked not to be named.

Checked

In an interview with Shiselweni Regional Education Officer (REO) Siboniso Gumbi, he shared that they checked on the schools and some of the head teachers asked if lessons should proceed amid the cold weather. He said it was the ministry that would decide on school’s closure. When the Minister of Education and Training, Mabuza, was called, she stated that schools would not close because of the cold. She said the closure of a school would depend on the situation at that particular school. Mabuza said the temperatures were not the same across the country, hence it would be wrong to close all the schools. “Affected schools will report and a decision will be taken then,” she added. Some schools decided to break early yesterday due to the cold.

When asked if schools will be operating today since the King had called Sibaya, Mabuza responded to the affirmative. She said teachers knew what to do, adding that Sibaya was always called and that did not mean schools had to be closed. “By the time Sibaya starts, primary schools would be done for the day’s business, hence those teachers will be able to get there,” she said. It is worth noting that everyone who will attend Sibaya will be picked up from 7am from their different stations. It was said when the announcement for Sibaya was made that all citizens were expected to have arrived by 10am. Meanwhile, some small business owners did not open for the day yesterday because of the extremely cold weather. 

It was gathered from some of their colleagues who shared that they were also feeling the cold and some even shared that they were not going to open today. These were mainly vendors who sell airtime, vegetables and clothes. They shared that doing business in the open was the reason they felt they needed to consider their health than making money, as the cold was unbearable for them. Some of those who were working also shared that they did not make much money as there was less movement of people compared to other days, hence the reason they were not going to open. Girlie Dlamini, who sells vegetables, shared that she regretted not staying at home as she also did not make money yesterday. “We heard the weather will be better on Wednesday (tomorrow), hence we will come back then,” she added.  The vendors shared that they were sickly hence they had to consider their health first.

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