It has been more than a week since KwaZulu-Natal schools reopened, but Matamzana Dube Secondary School in Gobandlovu outside eSikhaleni remains closed. Instead of going to classes, pupils and their parents took to the streets over the toilet facilities at the school.

Ward councillor Mondli Mthethwa says the issue is well-known to both the circuit and provincial Department of Education.

He says he received a call from the School Governing Body (SGB) chairperson, informing him of the school being closed, last Tuesday.

“The chairperson told me the principal, teachers, and learners took a decision not to continue with classes as they are uncomfortable using the chemical toilets installed by the department while there was an ongoing project to build proper ablutions,” says Mthethwa.

“That project has now stopped. The SGB and teachers want to know when it will resume because teachers and learners are sharing one chemical toilet, which is not timeously serviced as it is meant to be.

“I am beginning to believe that those in a position to answer parents, learners, and teachers’ concerns do not care.

“My biggest worry is that the matrics will sit for their final exams in less than 100 days, but there has been no teaching and learning at Matamzana.

“This school is among those in our circuit that did not perform well last year,” says a concerned Mthethwa.

Moreover, according to Mthethwa, a representative from the Education MEC’s office reported to the SGB that owing to a lack of adequate running water in the City of uMhlathuze, it was recommended that pit toilets be built instead of flushing toilets, hence the project was halted.

Petros Mthembu, parent of a pupil at Matamzana Dube Secondary School, says the subject of toilets at the school dates years back.

He claims it has been repeatedly spoken about to the circuit office, but no interventions were made thus far.

All correspondence sent to the KZN Department of Education went unanswered by the time of going to press.