Damaged school building poses threat to learners in Morgenzon

The collapsing infrastructure at Nqobangolwazi Secondary School in Morgenzon, is a cause of worry to the DA.

Mr Muso Kubheka, caucus leader in the Gert Sibande District, issued a statement on January 24, saying the lives of 975 learners are threatened.

The DA has liaised with its colleagues in the provincial legislature to request the Education MEC, Mr Bonakele Majuba, to intervene.

According to the party, they conducted an oversight visit and saw the double-storey building has no proper ceiling, collapsing walls, broken windows and the top floor has a crack and can collapse any time.

“We discovered that the teachers were forced to stop using some of the classrooms due to the walls,” the statement read.

“One grade is squashed into one classroom, leaving the teachers with 60 learners.”

According to the press release, the school’s 28 teachers are only using 15 out of 20 classrooms to accommodate the learners.

The school was given to the community in 1995 and never renovated.

According to him, the teacher-learner ratio is one teacher to a maximum of 36 learners in a classroom.

Mr Kubheka said they spoke to the SGB and mentioned that the Department of Education is aware of the crisis.

According to him, letters were written, seeking intervention and the department sent people to evaluate the damage.

Renovations were estimated at a million rand five years ago, giving an indication of the damage to the building.