PUPILS from Botebotsebo Secondary School caused a commotion on Friday, 12 August, when they refused to listen to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.
They demanded to be addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.
Motshekga, the programme director during the imbizo at the Sharpeville cricket pitch in the Vaal, refused to allow pupils to address the gathering, saying they were supposed to be at school not at the parents’ imbizo.
An angry pupil said: “We are youth, we are here and we’re going to speak.”
When community members asked for pupils to be allowed to speak, Ramaphosa took control by saying he wouldn’t allow kids to talk while there were parents who should speak.
He told residents they should allow ministers to respond to service delivery issues raised, and not to be told by kids.
Three weeks ago pupils from Botebotsebo marched to the Department of Education and the Eskom offices demanding to have electrical transformers. Pupils told Daily Sun they missed school on Friday because of daily power outages.
Matric pupil Bongani Ntshumayelo said they wanted to tell Ramaphosa their school has no electricity. “Since then, the school has experienced multiple break-ins, including vandalism of our generator, fence, ceiling and water pipes.”
Ntshumayelo said the school was told to pay R1 million for reconnection by Eskom in June and to date the school operates without electricity.
“This has all been reported to both the district and the Gauteng Education Department, and there have been protests but in the last two weeks but that is not helping either.”
Ramaphosa was in the Vaal for the presidential imbizo road show that started in March this year.
DA Emfuleni Councillor Daddy Mollo said the party has submitted the written questions to Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi through DA shadow MEC Khume Ramulifho. “It is high time that the Gauteng Provincial Education Department considers having security at schools to halt rampant vandalism and damage.”
