EFF rejects the Department of Education’s homicidal plans to re-open more grades
2 July 2020
The Economic Freedom Fighters rejects the Department of Basic Education's murderous plan to re-open schools for more grades despite 775 schools being affected by COVID-19.
There has been a spike of cases in schools amongst teachers and learners since the re-opening for grades 7 and 12 learners on 8 June 2020. The negligent decision by the Department to re-open schools has already resulted in at least 523 learners and 1,169 teachers being infected by COVID-19 hardly four weeks into the re-opening of schools.
According to recent statistics, at least 10 South African children between the ages of 10 and 19 have died from COVID-19, which completely disproves the notion that young people and children are less susceptible to contracting the virus, a logic which has been at the centre of re-opening of schools.
The decision to re-open schools for more grades essentially ends the lockdown because the Department of Basic Education wants to engage in a dangerous experiment by putting as many as six million learners at risk of contracting COVID-19. It is no secret that as many as 3,800 schools mostly in rural areas still rely on pit latrines for sanitation and over 3,500 schools are without adequate access to water.