Staircases at Laerskool Jeugkrag nowhere near completed
Their strong-worded petition cited chapter 2 of the Constitution of South Africa that refers to a safe and healthy environment, the Child Care Act 74 of 1983 and the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1983.
Work on the staircases at Laerskool Jeugkrag has grinded to a halt.
“We were crossing our fingers for the work to be completed,” Mr Louis Thabethe, deputy chairman of the Student Governing Body (SGB), said on Friday 23 October.
Rumours indicate that the contractor has not been paid and according to Mr Thabethe, one staircase is completed.
It all began when parents, learners and teachers shut down Laerskool Jeugkrag on Monday, 16 September last year, taking action against the school’s infrastructure.
The School Governing Body (SGB) expressed their dissatisfaction with the cracked staircases, saying it put the lives of learners and teachers at risk.
A group of learners protested in front of the circuit office of the Department of Education on 16 August last year and handed over a petition.
“Parents are angry, as well as anxious,” Mr Thabethe, then chairman of the SGB, said. What will happen when the first rain begins to fall?”
Their strong-worded petition cited chapter 2 of the Constitution of South Africa that refers to a safe and healthy environment, the Child Care Act 74 of 1983 and the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1983.
The Standerton Advertiser published developments as it unfolded and a contractor was appointed to begin working on the staircases on Monday, 23 September last year.
One of the demands in the petition was that the Department of Education and Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport prioritise the integrity of all building structures throughout the province and nationwide.
The repairs were estimated to be completed by the end of October last year.
Some of Laerskool Jeugkrag’s learners were temporarily accommodated in both the Eskom Hall and the hall at the swimming pool in Florapark in early October last year.
According to information, no work had yet begun at the school at that stage.
Mr Jasper Zwane, provincial spokesman of the Department of Education, said in October last year that the site had still to be set up.
Mr Thabethe said during his visit to the newspaper this past Wednesday, 21 October that letters were sent to the engineers, contractor and the departments in this regard.
“We were hoping on a response, but no acknowledgement of receipt yet.”
According to him, the temporary staircases are used because it is the only option.
He added that the lockdown contributed to the delay, but said they should have been further by now.
The question as to which department is responsible for the delay, has to be verified.
“It seems as if the lives of these children don’t matter,” he concluded.
“We do not want to begin 2021 on this troubling and frustrating note.”
The newspaper sent a WhatsApp-message to Mr Zwane on Monday, 26 October, requesting information as to what caused the delay in construction. Readers will be updated once information is received.
