The Limpopo Department of Education condemns in the strongest terms possible the torching of schools in the Vuwani area, Vhembe district, where the protesting residents want the Municipal Demarcation Board to reverse its decision to incorporate them into a new municipality. This follows the torching of 16 schools in Vurhonga 2 circuit, which has since brought teaching and learning to a standstill as the protests spiraled out of control targeting school property in the area. A number of schools in villages such as Majozi, Kurhuleni, Mashau, Masia among others lost valuable property as administration blocks, classrooms, libraries, nutrition centres and school furniture were reduced to ashes.
The Department will as soon as the situation calms down, send a team to asses to extent of the damage so as to device speedy means to ensure that teaching and learning resumes. It is a total shut down in the area and the department is concerned about the time lost by learners as a result of this unfortunate situation. Community members are in the meantime, urged to work with the SAPS and the Department with regard to information that will lead to the arrest of perpetrators of these barbaric acts. We call on the community leaders and the community members to exercise restraint by ensuring they protest peacefully and not vandalize school property. It is unacceptable and at the same time regrettable that our schools are caught in the crossfire and education is used as a bargaining tool every time communities protest for other services.
Community members must think twice before embarking in these acts as the aftermath of these actions will have devastating effects on education in this area given the constraints that the department already faces. The gutting of property disrupts schooling, takes the department backwards and will simply add to the already massive backlog that the department faces and has been trying to address for years now. The Department still has to address school infrastructure that has been damaged by storms and cannot contend with man-made disasters.
Enquiries:
Dr Naledzani Rasila
Cell: 072 747 3078
