Pretoria - The Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Ministry says government will be deploying 74 mobile classrooms to all affected schools in Vuwani and surrounding areas in Limpopo.
The Ministry on Monday said government again calls upon communities and leaders who may have issues of concern to raise them through the channels and platforms which have been established to enable dialogue for urgent matters.
“These would include direct discussions and meetings, public participation programmes and others,” said the Ministry.
This after teaching and learning in the Vuwani area have been on hold due to public unrest that saw about 20 schools torched, forcing learners to stay at home for about two weeks.
The Ministry has cautioned that communities should not compromise the interest of children and use it to bargain for community issues.
“We should safeguard the rights of our children who are the leaders of tomorrow and not allow hooligans and detractors to reverse and undermine spotless achievements,” said the Ministry.
The Ministry said the burning of schools, damage to infrastructure, intimidation of learners and educators are actions which in the end prevent them from attending classes and are therefore unacceptable.
“It constitutes a gross violation of human rights and the law and cannot be used to draw attention to complaints about service delivery.
“Police will continue with patrols and visibility in the affected areas and perpetrators who seek to intimidate communities, or try to vandalise or destroy infrastructure, will be brought to book and the law shall take its cause,” said the Ministry.
Teaching, learning resumes
Meanwhile, government and stakeholders concerned by the disruption of schools in Vuwani in Limpopo are hopeful that the number of learners going back to school will improve as the week progresses.
The Ministry on Monday said government would like to commend parents and communities who allowed their children to go back to school.
“We understand the low numbers of schools that were opened today [Monday] is a result of the fear of recent outbreak of violent protest in Vuwani and surrounding areas.
“We knew as government that this process will be gradual and some leaners might not be able to start schooling immediately on the first day, but we are hopeful that this will improve as the week progresses,” said the Ministry.
Government and stakeholders, including the traditional leaders in Vuwani and surrounding areas, made a clarion call to all parents to encourage their children to go back to school yesterday.
“We are worried that leaners and teachers have already lost 10 valuable days of teaching and learning as they were unable to access the schools,” said the Ministry.
COGTA Minister Des van Rooyen said government is committed to the safety and protection of both learners and educators returning to schools.
“… It is our wish that quality learning and teaching should resume urgently to avoid more time losses,” said Minister Van Rooyen.
The Ministry said the return of learners to schools is to ensure that teaching and learning resumes in order for learners not to be adversely affected. - SAnews.gov.za
