Publications
Partners
Parents from Mcheni Primary school in Tsolo are appealing to the Department of Education in the Eastern Cape to assist their school by installing electricity.
According to the chairperson of the Mcheni Primary School’s School Governing Body (SGB), Mzimeli Yelo, even though they finally got temporary structures in 2023, they are still facing the problem of the school not having electricity.
He said that teachers are struggling because they cannot do their work properly, and they have to make use of an internet café, even though they have printers.
Yelo said,
He said that they fought that battle and won, because they finally got the temporary structures.
He confirmed that they even made an illegal connection because of the situation they are facing, but the owner of the homestead where they were connecting asked them to get some other alternatives. Yelo added that besides the lack of electricity the school does not have proper toilets.
According to him, all the neighbouring schools were electrified, but their school was left out.
The principal of the school, Hlanganisa Mazwi, confirmed that when they were printing question papers for December exams he was forced to go home with a school printer.
“We were connecting illegally to a neighbour but by doing that we were putting the lives of our learners at risk. We tried to speak with the Department of Education but nothing happened ever since. We spoke with Eskom and even with the Mhlontlo Local Municipality,” said Mazwi.
Spokesperson for the Department of Education, Malibongwe Mtima, confirmed that the contractor was appointed in 2021 by Independent Development Trust to build or revamp the school, but then it left without finishing the project.
“The department have been waiting for a replacement ever since,” said Mtima.
