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Article by Loyiso Pulumani and Mali Mtima
The Eastern Cape Department of Education’s Head of Department Adv. Modidima Mannya wishes to register his profound disappointment and unhappiness at the Butterworth Property Developers’ failure to give the Department notice about their intention to demolish the informal settlement of Bhungeni, together with the fledgling community primary school, Eluxolweni which serviced 81 learners from grade R to grade 6.
The Department does not dispute the land-owners right to take any action they may deem fit in exercising their rights. In the same vein, no one can ignore the reality that, that school serviced children from the settlement who were thus already burdened by daily grinding poverty and uncertainty.
“Poor children deserve access to education, especially as their communities look up to them to improve the quality of their lot”, said Mannya. “A notice to the Department would have enabled us to plan ahead and thus make suitable alternative arrangements, so that our learners do not lose valuable contact time”, he added.
This demolition has resulted in the loss of all teaching and learning materials at the school, including the entire school’s furniture and grade R children’s toys. As a result of this heavy handed act, both the learners and teachers of that school have been left traumatised by this sudden dislocation and uncertain future.
Mannya has instructed an official from the department to immediately institute a full assessment of the situation at the school in order to be in a position to properly plan for urgently needed remedial action. In the meantime, the school remains temporarily closed and the schools’ teachers have been reporting to the Department’s District Offices at the old Butterworth Teachers College site. Parents of displaced learners are also urged to get in touch with Mr E.M. Mtirara, the circuit manager for that area, his contact number at the district office is 047 491 1169.
Issued by: Communications Directorate
Eastern Cape Department of Education
Enquiries: Loyiso Pulumani (083 275 0675)
Malibongwe Mtima (082 088 4599
Article Tags: demolish, informal settlement, Eluxolweni
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We have learnt that we should respect our children’s right at all times and this should start from the Department of Education. I believe they did this because of the way the department itself is treating children’s rights. If you allowed a school to open and tell teachers to stay home, so can somebody demolish the school without consultation. Why should we punish our kids like this?
Yes, the department was able to justify their actions. They said there was no money to pay teachers. Those who demolished the school can also justify theirs, and that is they need their land. Problems don’t just happen. There is always a route cause of every problem.
Why are we thinking of alternative location for the learners? The answer is simply because they need to be educated regardless of the situation. Also, they are innocent kids who do not know how the school was built. In the same way, they do not know how the money got vanished from the department’s coffers. Let us all be proactive rather than reactive to save the future of the country.
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