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 on Monday 16 May 2016. 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. “Government is committed to the safety and protection of both learners and educators returning to schools, and it is our wish that quality learning and teaching should resume urgently to avoid more time loses”, said Van Rooyen.
The call made by government and stakeholders was to ensure that teaching and learning resumes in order for learners not to be adversely affected. As such we understand the low numbers of schools that were opened today 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.
Government would like to commend parents and communities who allowed their children to go back to school and some even accompanied them. The resolve of this parents is a major milestone in our efforts towards ensuring that issues are back to normality. We also commend the communities who stood their ground and ensured that their children’s schools are burnt and all those who came out today to continue cleaning.
As all children have the right to adequate educational facilities whether in difficult or violent situations, government will be deploying 74 mobile classrooms which are on their way to all the affected schools. It is therefore our responsibility to ensure the protection of these as well as infrastructure geared to benefit our children and communities.
“Going forward government will continue to work tirelessly with all willing partners and stakeholders to find lasting solution to the problems in Vuwani and the surrounding areas”, Van Rooyen said. This is because we remain concerned with the challenges faced and particularly the impact they have on the lives of communities, especially leaners, teachers, business and those requiring access to government services.
Government again calls upon communities and leaders who may have issues of concern to raise these through the channels and platforms which have been established to enable dialogue in such urgent matters. These would include direct discussions and meetings, public participation programmes and others. Looking at the events as they unfolded here, we would like to caution that communities should not compromise the interest of children and use it to bargain for community issues. Instead we should safeguard the rights of our children who are the leaders of tomorrow and not allow a hooligans and detractors to reverse, and undermine our spotless achievements.
It is important to note that 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. In addition, it constitutes a gross violation of human rights and the law and cannot be used to draw attention to complaints about service delivery.
In addition, the 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.
Enquiries:
Mr Legadima Leso
Cell: 082 378 9495
