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Money earmarked for crumbling and unsafe Ugie school disappears in EC Education Department

By

Dear Editor

Children and teachers at the Ugie based ET Thabane Primary School are putting their lives in danger daily at this crumbling death trap of a school.

This is happening despite the Department of Basic Education (DBE) having transferred money to the EC Department of Education to build a new school in Ugie. While the lives of children and teachers are being endangered this money has seemingly disappeared with the EC department being unable to account for it.

On Wednesday, 19 April 2023, I conducted an oversight inspection at the school and found that teachers are forced to teach 1800 learners in unsafe structures, with sagging roofs and crumbling walls, to children who have no alternative public primary school to attend.

The Eastern Cape department has also cut the school’s maintenance budget from R500 000 to R17 000 and very little money is, therefore, available to keep the buildings from falling over. When it rains children have to sweep water out of classrooms and they also fall ill due to damp and cold conditions.

Despite this humanitarian crisis the Eastern Cape had to return R100 million that was set down to address infrastructure issues at schools.

I’ve raised this issue in Parliament and with the minister of education and the director-general (DG) of the DBE. They all replied that the money for the school has already been transferred to the provincial department.

On 5 February 2021, the parliamentary portfolio committee conducted an oversight at the school, joined by officials from the DBE, the Eastern Cape Department of Education and the Infrastructure department.

Commitments were made to provide the school with temporary classrooms and to rebuild the school, but since then nothing has happened.

I will now write to the office of the President and request his intervention as our plea to the minister and department is falling on deaf ears.

We will also request the portfolio committee to summon the Eastern Cape Department to come and account for this tragedy.

The DA will not allow the children of Ugie to be denied their constitutional right to education by an uncaring ANC government.

Regards

Baxolile ‘Bax’ Nodada MP
Alfred Nzo Constituency Leader

Views Since 15 July 2022: 38

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.