MEC Lesufi’s failure to fix ageing infrastructure denies learners access to a conducive learning environment

27 January 2022

A block of 10 classrooms at Sekampaneng Primary School in Temba, Hammanskraal are not in use as one classroom has collapsed on Monday while others are in a waterlogged area. While some of the classroom's walls have cracks and pose a safety risk for both learners and teachers, leaving the school in a dire state.

This school, which was built by the community, is old and dilapidated and was built in a waterlogged area that has resulted in the collapse of some classrooms.

Photos can be accessed here_ here _ here _

The school has over 2400 learners; the classrooms are severely overcrowded and not conducive for learning and teaching. It is unacceptable as our learners are being denied the dignity of learning in an adequate environment.

This situation has arisen because of the department’s failure to fix our school infrastructure and to conduct regular oversight and monitoring of our schools.

The DA demands that the Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi must provide the school with temporary mobile classrooms to ensure that learning and teaching continue in a conducive environment without any disruptions.

We further advise the MEC to conduct soil testing at this school to ensure that temporary mobile classrooms are in an area that is not saturated with water.

It is the responsibility of the department to eradicate all the ageing infrastructure and ensure that our schools have adequate classrooms, learning materials and equipment.

The DA is urging MEC Lesufi to attend to this matter urgently as learners are already denied access to quality basic education due to rotational learning and teaching system.

Issued by Khume Ramulifho, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Education, 27 January 2022