Media Statement: Committee Chair Calls for Immediate Resumption of Schooling in Protection-Fee Affected Mthatha Schools

The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries, Mr Makhi Feni, has called on law enforcement agencies to speedily bring to a complete stop the thugs whose actions have closed schools and threatened educators in the Mthatha (OR Tambo District) area.

The committee condemns in the strongest terms the criminal conduct that has led to the closure of Mthatha schools. Mr Feni said: “The people who have decided that schools are soft targets for these nefarious acts are cowards who do not value education whatsoever. They do not have respect for learning time, educators and learners.”

It has been confirmed that Sinolwazi Senior Secondary School, Bambanani Junior Secondary School, Maholweni Junior Secondary School and Laphumikhwezi Junior Secondary School have been all affected by thugs operating in the area who demand money. Teachers from these schools have been threatened and, in one instance, assaulted, and are now not going to work.

Mr Feni said this unacceptable conduct, which has reportedly led to the closure of many businesses in the area, has now gripped the education sector. “This is one area where law enforcements cannot be sluggish or tardy. Surely these thugs are known people. The police should assist before we have a situation of having police and security permanently stationed at schools; that will not be conducive for learning and we do not wish it to happen,” Mr Feni said.

Mr Feni said no man should be allowed to dare the state as these thugs have done and the state must respond to this challenge. “Soon this will extend to clinics, hospitals and homes if no decisive action is taken,” emphasised Mr Feni.

He called on the Department of Education in the Eastern Cape to assist schools with recovery and catch-up plans for the affected learners, especially matriculants who will soon be writing trial examinations. “Educators ought to be schools teaching and learners ought to be learning too,” added Mr Feni. The committee also noted with appreciation the imbizo that was led by King Buyelekhaya Dalinyebo on Tuesday.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.