Bleak future for Melokuhle from Standerton
The father at one stage said he wanted a care worker for his son and home-schooling to be introduced.
Melokuhle from Ext 8 has not been at school for close to 11 months and spent this year in a wheelchair. This child had fallen victim to an accident at a school in the township in November last year.
A tree fell on him and he is now a paraplegic. After spending some time in hospitals and receiving physiotherapy, the family battles to properly look after him.
The parents both work and take turns to watch him during the day, washing him and trying to keep the child’s mind occupied.
Melokuhle will not be able to go to the next grade since no formal schooling was received. The Standerton Advertiser has published more than one article on the plight of the family.
His father is in regular contact with the newspaper and has endeavoured to get answers from both the primary school and the Department of Education on the way forward.
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The father at one stage said he wanted a care worker for his son and home-schooling to be introduced. The boy’s academic future is uncertain.
Since the first publishing of the article, more than one message has been sent to Jasper Zwane, provincial spokesperson of the department.
In the newspaper’s edition of February 4, the parent spoke about his child’s scholastic future and the way things were handled at the school.
The father also visited the offices of the newspaper. Polytraumatic injuries were sustained to the brain, legs and spine of the boy and he underwent an operation at Witbank Hospital.
The newspaper contacted the school as well and the call went to voicemail.
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The spokesman of the Department of Education, Jasper Zwane, was also contacted previously and the newspaper resent the WhatsApp message of January 26 on February 3.
According to the father, he signed a report at the HOD of the Department of Education and requested the available CCTV footage of the incident.
He has not received the footage, as promised.
“My son has to be turned in bed every hour to prevent bed sores,” he previously said.
The man said that the situation must be addressed by the department. The Standerton Advertiser sent a WhatsApp message to Zwane on Friday, October 14 and awaits comment.
