The pressures that come with going to school and thriving in one’s studies have increased considerably over the past two years, with a variety of negative effects on learners and their results. Adding any more problems to that can be devastating for a learner’s future.

Thuto Lefa Secondary School’s problems with water started back in 2019 when the water supply often was either very low or at times non-existent. A school with 1 000 plus learners simply cannot operate without clean drinking water or water to flush away sewage.

As the problem worsened throughout the following years, reaching its climax in 2021, the school was forced to close as early as 11:30 or 12:00. This, Principal Robert Sesinyi explained, led to the learners’ average results suffering.

The school had already asked the municipality for help and, as Robert explained, “We were told, because of the previous administration, the MCLM did not work inside a school. Whatever work they did inside the school back then, they would bill the school and not the department.

I told the department we didn’t need any official coming here. Anyone who enters the gate must come with a solution.”

Robert reached out to newly appointed MMC for Utilities, Councillor Kagiso Lekagane early in 2022, not knowing where else to turn to. It wasn’t long before Kagiso visited the school.

“I had to investigate the history of the problem and engage my team. We found that the pump wasn’t pumping water to the JoJo tank, and that there was a large leak in an underground pipe.

Robert explained that the school has a capacity of about 850 learners, but currently has over 1 700 on the behest of the Department of Education. Four primary schools in Munsieville feed into Thuto Lefa, which is the only secondary school in the area. Having a water problem means the already overburdened school cannot function.

The water problem was finally resolved by March 9, and there hasn’t been a problem since.