Question No. 87
Mr HB Groenewald (Democratic Alliance, North West) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
(1) Whether her department has any plans to provide (a) electricity and (b) sport facilities for the schools in Mafarafara and Mahlatsi communities; if not, why not; if so, (a) what plans and (b) what are the further relevant details;
(2) Whether any (a) security measures and (b) feeding schemes are in place at these schools; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) Whether any provision has been made for school transport subsidies; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4) Whether any of the transporting companies used is refusing to travel on the roads to and from these communities; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. The schools in Mafarafara refer to Itsoseng Primary, Makotaseng Primary and Mahakwaneng High school in Limpopo. Schools in Mahlatsi refer to Mahlatsi Primary and Sedibeng High school in Limpopo.
(a) Limpopo provincial Department of Education responded that the two communities (Mafarafara and Mahlatsi) have not yet been supplied with electricity through the municipality’s integrated development plan (IDP) process in collaboration with ESKOM.
There is an agreement with ESKOM and various municipalities in the Limpopo province, those schools will be included in the lists of beneficiaries (together with individual households) during the electrification of villages by ESKOM.
Makotaseng and Sedibeng have been provided with solar systems through the Department of Energy school electrification programme.
(b) The Limpopo Department of Education has no plans to provide the schools with sport facilities, either now or in the immediate future due to budgetary constraints. There are currently 1 050 schools with inappropriate structures. The priority of the department is to provide basic and safe educational infrastructure which create a conducive environment for effective teaching and learning in our schools.
2. (a) Fencing has been provided to Itsoseng, Mahakwaneng and Sedibeng schools. Due to provincial budgetary constraints the other schools are not on list to be provided with fencing during the current financial year.
(b) Feeding scheme (branch S)
3 and 4. According to the Limpopo Department of Education, the schools in the two communities do not qualify for learner transport because of the location of the schools in relation to the communities they serve.
Issued by: Department of Basic Education
12 March 2010
Source: Department of Education (http://www.education.gov.za/)
