This primary school's fence is non-existent, which poses an enormous safety risk to the pupils and teachers. The toilets at the school have been vandalised to such an extent that the basins and taps have been broken out, leaving no running water for the learners and impossible for them to practice personal hygiene. Please see pictures here, here, here and here.

The DA also found a vegetable garden which once flourished but had to be discontinued due to the high cost of water supply to the school. The DA observed that there is not only a need, but an eagerness, from the teachers, parents and scholars, to re-establish this vegetable garden. The school has requested the Department of Education to sink a borehole to enable the school to continue with the vegetable garden and pleaded with the municipality to provide the school with cheaper water. These requests remain unanswered.

Relebohile Primary is a quintile three school and qualifies for the National School Nutrition Programme, the objective is not just to provide nutritious meals to learners, but the programme is also intended to teach learners and parents how to lead a healthy lifestyle and promotes the development of school vegetable gardens. Gardening provides an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the environment and how to care for it. It also teaches important life skills such as responsibility, patience, and teamwork.

Regrettably, the learners of the Relebohile Primary School are being robbed of safety and proper sanitation and missing out on an open opportunity to learn new life skills and produce products which can add fresh healthy food to their meals.

The DA urgently calls on the MEC of Education, Makalo Mohale, to present a plan with strict time frames for safety and security interventions and a sustainable supply of water to these schools.

Statement supplied.