Dying diggers of Namaqualand need saving
| by Fawzia Rhoda, MPL – DA Northern Cape Constituency Head of Bo-Karoo |
| Date: 14 October 2020 |
| Release: Immediate |
| Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English & Afrikaans from Fawzia Rhoda, MPL. The Democratic Alliance (DA) is making an urgent appeal to Northern Cape MEC of Education, Zolile Monakali, in conjunction with MEC of Health, Maruping Lekwene, to intervene in the potentially hazardous situation brewing at Van Rensburg Primary School in Britstown, following an outbreak of Covid-19 at the institution.This comes after at least 30 pupils and one teacher at the school already tested positive for Covid-19 last week. The school was subsequently closed, following the outbreak.Many more learners and teachers, the majority of whom also attended a farewell function with a teacher who subsequently tested positive, are still awaiting their results. The department’s acting district manager for the area, however, has instructed all teachers to return to school tomorrow, despite many still not knowing their Covid-19 status. A large part of the delay in testing was due to the clinic running out of stock of Covid-19 tests on Monday. At this stage, it also takes an average of three days for people testing in Britstown, to get their results.In addition to the matter relating to the testing, the school has also not yet been sanitised. This was initially scheduled to take place on Thursday and Friday this week. Now the department expects schooling to resume as normal, without any deep cleaning having taken place at the school.The DA denounces the reckless behaviour of the education department. Yes, a lot of school time has been lost and learners have suffered as a result. However, the 30 positive cases and counting, signifies that the school has become a hot spot for Covid-19 and now the health of staff, learners and their families, many of whom are elderly grandparents, must be prioritised.The DA is thus calling for the education department to put the brakes on tomorrow’s ill-informed reopening. At the same time, we call on the MEC’s of Health and Education to involve themselves in this matter, to ensure that the district education office, together with the school, gets the correct advice and adheres to all necessary health and safety protocols so as to not endanger the lives of those attending and working at the school. The health department should also assist with speeding up the entire testing process.While exams and report cards are important, they can never take precedence over people’s lives. We therefore call on the education department to act quickly and responsibly during this pandemic, to curb the spread of Covid-19 and to ensure that minimal school days, as well as lives, are lost. |
| Media Enquiries |
| Fawzia Rhoda, MPLDA Northern Cape Constituency Head of Bo-Karoo082 408 8070 Shelley De WittNC Media Manager082 847 1387 |
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