Learners to protest against asbestos exposure at Randfontein Secondary School

24 January 2018

On Thursday 25 January 2018, I together with DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, Khume Ramulifho MPL will lead a protest at Randfontein Secondary School in Toekomsrus and will hand over a Memorandum of Demands to the representative of the Gauteng Education Department on behalf of the community.

Instead of eradicating the asbestos school building the Gauteng Department of Education and by extension the Department of Infrastructure Development simply built a brick wall around it.

The asbestos material is still exposed on the inside of classes with some panels even broken, openly exposing learners to this hazardous material.

Asbestos as building material was already banned in 2008. Building around an asbestos building is extremely hazardous to the health of learners and teachers at this school.

If inhaled learners and teachers may develop asbestosis - a lung disease caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers.

It is grossly negligent of the department to not fast-track the process of eradicating asbestos schools.

Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi is aware of the dangers, yet the situation is still left unattended.

The Department of Education already missed the deadline of 29 November 2016 to eradicate all asbestos school buildings in Gauteng.

The DA demands that MEC Lesufi visit the school within seven days so that he can provide the community, learners and teachers with answers as to why this school was not earmarked to be entirely rebuilt.

MEC Lesufi must immediately act to address this situation and provide the community with feedback.

The DA believes that learners and teachers deserve a safe, dignified and conducive learning environment.

Issued by Jacques Julius, NCOP Gauteng Permanent Delegate, DA, 24 January 2018