Teachers and learners exposed to asbestos dust in Gauteng schools face major health challenges.
Most asbestos school buildings are deteriorated, panels are cracked, broken and exposed in classrooms.
At Randfontein Secondary School, the department merely built a wall right around the asbestos building, leaving the asbestos exposed inside the building.
This was revealed to the NCOP delegation on oversight at schools in the province, during the NCOP provincial week.
If the lives of learners and teachers were of paramount importance to the department, they ought to be moving swiftly in eradicating the asbestos school backlog.
When maintenance work disturbs asbestos matter, or they start to deteriorate over time, asbestos dust can enter the air and be inhaled. Exposure to the dust puts any person at an increased risk for mesothelioma, lung cancer and serious lung conditions.
The DA will submit a written question to MEC Lesufi, to ascertain exactly how many asbestos schools, their location and name, what financial provision will be made available to eradicate the number of asbestos schools in Gauteng by the 2017/2018 financial year.
The DA vows to hold MEC Lusufi to his commitment to eradicate all asbestos building schools in Gauteng in the next two years.
Media enquiries:
DA Member in the NCOP – Gauteng
083 420 1309