Learners forced to cross river to school

Residents of Ga-Molepo village in the Man­kweng area allegedly have no choice but to risk their lives daily in that they are forced to cross a river to get to their respective destinations in the current rainy season.
According to concerned residents of Riverside, the main road gets flooded during the rainy season and children as young as 7 years are forced to cross the river to get to school. An angry parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity in fear of being victimised, stressed that they have been engaging the ward councillor Charles Molepo but their pleas seemingly fell on deaf ears. She indicated that the situation gets worse in the rainy season giving learners a reason to bunk school as they are afraid to cross the river in fear of dangerous animals that might be in the water.

A source alleged that the affected learners are mostly those enrolled at Moria Primary School, Sion High School, Marobathota High School and Makgoka Primary School: “It is a disaster when it rains. Villagers suspect that there might be dangerous animals in the water. We are forced to drive about 8 km to get to the main road because we are unable to pass at the river. All we request is a temporary measure to make life easier for both workers and children. We are concerned about our children’s safety. We don’t have proper roads in the area,” a source explained.
Sources alleged that Molepo does not take the community serious because he does not stay in the same village. They said all they needed was a bridge that would allow them and their children to pass over the stream. Sources who spoke to Polokwane Observer were not aware if the issue has been reported to the relevant institutions.

Molepo confirmed that he was aware of the crisis but put the blame on residents as he mentioned that they denied the Polokwane Municipality to construct a pedestrian bridge over the stream. He stated that he informed Polokwane Municipality about the situation in 2017 and reiterated that plans to construct a pedestrian bridge were in place but residents rejected the idea as they demanded a proper bridge. According to Molepo, residents demand a bridge that would cost over R100 million.
“When I engaged the municipality in 2017, I was informed that there was no budget for a project of this magnitude. However, the municipality was ready to build a pedestrian bridge for the community but residents turned down the offer as they demand a bigger bridge that can cater for both pedestrians and motorists. The community should allow us to build a pedestrian bridge as a temporary measure for the safety of the children,” Molepo explained.
He further highlighted that he will be convening a community meeting in March and urged residents to attend in order to raise issues and concerns that should be given urgent attention.
In response to question Department of Education spokesperson Sam Makondo replied via e-mail: “What we know is that Moria and Marobathota are not using the route you are referring to. Makgoka learners have a safe route to use to school as well.”

Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za