News

Rumors fly as parents protest in Middelburg

A group of protesters gathered outside Laerskool Middelburg in Bhimy Damane Street yesterday afternoon to voice their grievances about a lack of space in local schools.

January 11, 2019

Jana Boshoff 2 minutes read

Parents protest in front of the Department of Education in SADC Street.

Parents who were at the school were requested to gather in classrooms and the school’s gates were locked.

Rumors that the headmaster, Gerrie van der Merwe, was held hostage and deputy headmaster, Willie Dique, were threatened, are not true.

Mr Van der Merwe confirmed the incident yesterday, saying that it was a small group of protesters that gathered in the street. The school immediately notified the police was on the scene in minutes.

https://www.citizen.co.za/middelburg-observer/88482/parents-frustrated-lack-space-schools/

Mr Van der Merwe said that he was never held hostage and that he and Mr Dique were at the scene the entire time, until the crowd was dispersed and they moved back to the Department of Education buildings in SADS Street.

He said that pupils and parents on the school grounds were told to stay inside classrooms and the gates were locked as precaution and not because there was any threat to the safety of anyone at that time.

Mr Van der Merwe confirmed that the protest happened outside the school property.

Parents are frustrated because their children failed to secure a space in school.

Some parents said that they and children were traumatized by the ordeal. One mother, who was at the scene, said that the protesters were not violent, but she still found the incident intimidating.

Rumors of a protest at Middelburg Primary on Friday morning, are also not true. A source said that the school did take precautionary steps, and informed parents that there was a possibility of protest but that everything was quiet on Friday morning.

• There was a meeting between headmasters from local schools and the Department of Education on Thursday to try and find a solution to the problem of a lack of space.

Readers will be informed about the outcome of the meeting as soon as Jasper Zwane, spokesperson for the department, gives feedback.