Parents and learners protested outside Copesville Secondary School where there is no water or electricity because the municipality has not been paid by the education department. Photo: Loyiso Dyongman
Failure to pay Msunduzi Municipality is a violation of human rights, say parents
By Loyiso Dyongman – this post first appeared on GroundUp
IN SUMMARY:
- School Shutdown: Parents of learners at Copesville Secondary School in Pietermaritzburg have shut down the school since Monday. The shutdown is in protest of the water and electricity being cut off by the Msunduzi Municipality.
- Parents’ Concerns: Parents argue that the lack of utilities is a violation of human rights and blame the education department for failing to pay its bills. Learners have been bringing water in bottles and leaving school early due to the lack of water.
- Activist’s Statement: Mxolisi Nxumalo, an activist, said the protest would continue until the issue is resolved. “Teachers and learners can’t even use toilets as there is no water. We are concerned how they are going to write final exams, especially the Grade 12 learners,” said Nxumalo.
- Parents’ Perspective: Thulisile Mthimkhulu, a parent, questioned how a government school could be without water and demanded accountability.
“This is not the first time that the school has had this problem of water disconnection by the municipality,” said Mthimkhulu. - Learners’ Struggles: Nomalungelo Ngcobo, a learner, expressed concern about the approaching exams and how the early dismissals are negatively affecting their learning. “The situation is affecting us which will lead to poor results at the end of the year,” said Ngcobo.
- Department of Education’s Response: Muzi Mahlambi, Head of Communications at the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, urged parents to cooperate with the department to resolve the issue. Mahlambi stated, “We urge parents not to tell learners not to come to school… Kids staying at home will disturb all the attempts we make to ensure that kids are ready to write.“
- Previous Incidents: In 2019, learners at the school protested by locking teachers inside the premises due to similar utility cuts. The principal had written over 15 letters to the education department, but the issue remained unresolved.
- Lack of Response: Attempts to get a comment from the School Governing Body were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered.
