The DA in Limpopo calls on MEC for Education, Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya to urgently address prohibition notices issued due to an unsafe environment that have gone unaddressed. These notices are a result of adverse conditions identified during inspections carried out by the Department of Employment and Labour.
These prohibition notices often result in the closure of a school or prohibited access to certain buildings or areas in a school, have been issued largely due to common findings such as:
- poor hygiene in toilets,
- dilapidated structures with multiple structural defects,
- potable water not compliant with SANS 241,
- emergency doors locked, obstructed and in some instances not even provided due to structural design,
- schools providing food for learners without appropriate cooking facilities and certificates of acceptability, and
- schools without electrical certificates of compliance.
Some of these prohibition notices date as far back as 2022, and while the department may have made efforts to address issues in some of the schools, some schools seemingly have not yet been addressed, including:
- Helen Franz Special School,
- Lekgoolo Maake Primary school,
- Waterval High School,
- Makatane Secondary School, and
- Dendron Primary School
These notices come at a time when the province is struggling to cope with overcrowding as well as massive infrastructure development and infrastructure maintenance backlogs.
Lerule-Ramakhanya and her department must hold officials responsible for these prohibition notices accountable, prioritise taking corrective action to address the notices and properly maintaining existing school infrastructure. The department should be regularly inspecting its own infrastructure to pre-empt and promptly address challenges.
These prohibition notices at schools and district offices indicate a continued failure by the department to manage the province’s school infrastructure and provide an environment safe for learners and staff.
The DA will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that the issue is fully addressed. Learners, educators and school staff deserve a safe working environment and infrastructure that is conducive to learning.