The DA Gauteng calls on the Emfuleni Municipality to switch the lights on at Evaton West Primary School. A year after the school opened its doors in January 2014, staff and learners have returned to a school with no electricity.
When the school first opened, it was not connected to the local power grid. Solar panels were provided as a temporary solution, but these were stolen in March last 2014. Repeated calls for assistance from the municipality have fallen on deaf ears.
It is of deep concern that the municipality leaves important institutions like schools without any electricity for so long. Ensuring the school is fully functional with electricity is a basic requirement and should be attended to urgently.
This makes teacher’s jobs very difficult as it restricts them from conducting any online research and having to print work at internet cafes. Not only does this place an unnecessary burden on teachers, but could also cause delays in covering the school curriculum.
Valuable technological resources play a critical role in ensuring that teachers are able to provide supplementary learning material to their learners. With Gauteng moving towards the so-called paperless classrooms, it is critical that connectivity is available at all schools.
The DA will submit written questions to Cooperative Governance MEC Jacob Mamabolo asking when electricity will be installed, whether security measures will be put in place to protect school property, and whether the Emfuleni municipal manager will be held to account for failing to address the problem.
Media enquiries:
Kingsol Chabalala MPL
DA Gauteng Constituency Head – Evaton
060 558 8299