'Poor parents are suffering' claims SANCO after closure of school

The closure of Mavhungu Andries Secondary School in Tshakhuma has left parents faced with the very challenging situation of dealing with the unexpected financial burden of additional transport costs. The school shut its doors in February last year, affecting the 164 pupils who were enrolled, as well as their parents or guardians. Community leaders have since made an urgent call to the Limpopo Department of Education to consider reopening the school.

Limpopo Mirror caught up with some of these parents and community leaders on Friday, 26 January, who claimed that they had not even been consulted when the decision was made to close the school and move the learners to other nearby schools, including Tshiemuemu Secondary, Gwamasenga Secondary, and Nndamuleleni Secondary. This happened despite their contributions to having extra classrooms built at Mavhungu Andries Secondary.

Many learners, especially the less privileged ones, now must walk about 20 kilometres to and from their new schools every day. The situation has even led to some learners’ dropping out.

Ms Livhuwani Tshilate, one of the concerned parents, highlighted the daily struggle of having to pay higher transport fees while being unemployed. “We are struggling, and there are safety concerns for our children, especially for girls during early morning travels in the winter. One of them has already been raped recently. We plead with the Department of Education to prioritise the safety of our children by reopening the school,” she said.

Vhakoma Vho Elias Nemutavhani said they had been surprised and disappointed that they had not been consulted before the learners had been transferred. “Many parents can’t afford the extra transport fees, which prompts questions about the school’s potential reopening,” he said.

Mr Osly Nyamande, the deputy chairman of the SANCO Tshakhuma branch, expressed their frustration with the education department’s consistent disregard for their concerns. He claimed that overcrowded conditions prevailed in the schools where the learners had been transferred to, coupled with a shortage of infrastructure, while the closed school faced vandalism.

“It’s now time for the department to listen to us, or we will resort to mass mobilisation to voice our grievances. We urge the department to reopen the school in the second term, because the school was not supposed to be merged, and the school governing body (SGB) are still receiving their salaries,” he said.

Ms Melta Nemukundela, a member of the SGB, said they had been told that the school would close because of a shortage of teachers in subjects such as Tshivenda and English. “We are deeply concerned over the dropout rate and the financial challenges faced by parents as most of them are unemployed,” she said.

When asked whether the Department of Education would deploy security at Mavhungu Andries Secondary to prevent further vandalism, the spokesperson for the department, Mr Mike Maringa, said they did not provide security for schools. “The school is merged and will not reopen. The claims by parents are unfounded,” he said.

Date:04 February 2024

By: Thembi Siaga

Thembi Siaga started as an intern during 2021. He assisted with video photography and editing. He also produced numerous small documentaries, focusing on the Vhembe region and its people. Currently he works as a freelance journalist, covering stories in the Elim area.

Thembi studied at the Tshwane University of Technology, where he completed his diploma in Journalism in 2021.

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