PUPILS from Winile Secondary School in Zonkizizwe in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, have decided enough is enough.
So on Friday, 29 July, the pupils embarked on a march to hand over a memorandum to the Ekurhuleni education district officials.
They were supported by pupils from the neighbouring Zonkizizwe Secondary.
Some of their placards were written: “We demand 1 640 desks”, “Issue of sewage pipeline” and “Stop violating our rights”.
Their grievances included a lack of school furniture such as desks and chairs.
They also claimed that sewage has been running all over their yard for a long time.
They are also not happy with their current principal, Nkosinathi Sibeko.
The march, which was inside the school premises, was guarded by the cops.
A Congress of South African Students (Cosas) sub-branch chairman, Surprise Mkhabela, said they embarked on the march as they are not being taken seriously by the principal.
The pupils said they sent countless letters to the principal and Gauteng education department, but were “not taken seriously.”
They said the principal once told them to wait for 14 days for chairs to be delivered, but they have been waiting forever.
According to the pupils, classes are overcrowded with over 50 kids in one classroom and half of the pupils do not have chairs. One of the pupils’ fears is that the exams are not far and they do not know how they will cope without chairs.
Education officials, led by Rally Tsoari, heard the pupil’s grievances and agreed to receive the memorandum.
The Gauteng Department of Education spokesman, Steve Mabona, was contacted days ago but did not respond to questions from Daily Sun.