Dying diggers of Namaqualand need saving
by Safiyia Stanfley – DA Provincial Spokesperson on Education in the Northern Cape
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Date: 08 August 2018
Release: Immediate
The Democratic Alliance in the Northern Cape will be submitting written questions to the Department of Education regarding the appointment of a contractor to fix the ablution facilities at the Veritas Technical School in De Aar. The facilities had been out of order since 2015, creating a serious health risk for the 927 learners at the school.
We want to establish the exact project duration and estimated costs for the repairs.
During an oversight inspection of the school today, the principal, Ms. Van Wyk, told a delegation from the DA that a contractor known as DJ Medicine Trading CC had been appointed to fix the ablution facilities at the school.
Although the Department of Education had promised to fix the problem by the end of July, it seems that the contractors will only be on site from the 13th of August.
Ensuring access to sanitation is such a basic component in creating an environment conducive for teaching and learning, yet it is one which the department consistently fails to get right. Not only has it failed to address this problem for three years, but it has already failed on its new promises to get the toilets fixed by the end of July.
And, according to the department’s recent budget plans, it only intends to spend the funds it had allocated for the maintenance at Veritas Technical School during 2020/2021. How much longer must learners from this community wait for the department to take their needs seriously?
It is evident that the ANC-led government has failed our children and our people of the Northern Cape. It is time for change, brought by a DA-led administration, which will prioritise the delivery of basic necessities to our children and which will ensure that our schools are conducive to teaching and learning.
Media Enquiries
Safiyia Stanfley
DA Provincial Spokesperson on Education in the Northern Cape
084 919 4157
Tharina Whittaker
Researcher
071 251 5558
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