Ferndale school reopens days after emergency management services closure order
Taal-Net St John School in Ferndale has reopened days after a city inspection found serious safety failures, clearing blocked fire exits and drafting an evacuation plan.
Taal-Net St John School in Ferndale reopened on September 14, days after the City of Johannesburg’s emergency management services (EMS) ordered it to close over serious fire safety failures found during a multi-department inspection of its Kent Avenue premises.
The inspection, part of the city’s high impact service delivery programme, involved officials from environmental health, town planning, emergency services and City Power. Environmental health issued three R5 000 fines for the school having no certificate of acceptability, non-compliant food premises and no handwashing basin, while town planning fined it a further R5 000 for breaching the Land Use Scheme. The school also owed City Power R36 000, which was settled on the day.
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EMS raised the gravest concerns, finding the school had no internal layout plan, unserviced firefighting equipment, a fire escape converted into a storeroom, and drywalling separating classrooms in breach of fire regulations. An audio recording captured an official telling staff to evacuate immediately. “We have to treat the situation as if their lives are endangered at the moment, currently, as we speak.” He dismissed principal Tanatsiwa Zishamba’s request for more time during exams, warning learners could lose their lives because of fires.
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School director Justin Magidi told the Randburg Sun the blocked fire escape had since been cleared and an internal evacuation plan drawn up. A non-compliant tuck shop had been closed, and a kitchen leak linked to the food safety fines was fixed the day before reopening.
Magidi criticised how the closure was handled, calling it an emotional decision taken by a single EMS official without notifying the department of education. “It cannot be one man’s decision when dealing with such an institution,” he said, noting the school had more than 300 learners.
He also disputed unspecified statements made about Zishamba during the inspection. “We are more than willing to comply with any authorities in any way.” He acknowledged some requirements remained outstanding but said these were under progress.
The Randburg Sun approached the City of Johannesburg for comment and will update this story when we receive it.
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