The third term got off to turbulent start for hundreds of pupils at Nxanelwi Mfundo Primary after parents closed the school in protest for the installation of a long-promised perimeter fence.
Dozens of parents gathered outside the Motherwell school on Tuesday morning barring teachers and pupils from entering the premises.
While teaching and learning resumed on Wednesday, the irate parents have given the department of education until the end of the week to address what they described as a longstanding safety concern.
Bathandwa Kalimashe, one of the parents leading the protest, said the decision to close the school was driven solely by concerns for the safety of the pupils.
“The school is situated very close to an informal settlement, and there are people who live there who are up to no good,” Kalimashe said.
“With no fence, the school becomes an unsafe place, and that puts our children at risk of things like kidnappings and rape.
“You must remember these are small children, so we have to do everything we can to protect them.”
He said parents had repeatedly raised the issue but felt they had no choice but to take drastic action.
However, Eastern Cape department of education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said the department had not been aware of the situation at the school.
“It is important for schools to follow the correct procedures by submitting a formal request to the department,” Mtima said.
“Once we receive the submission, we will assess it, prioritise it accordingly and determine how best we can assist.”
The protest echoes similar concerns raised at other schools in Motherwell over inadequate security infrastructure.
In August last year, The Herald reported that Mboniselo Public Primary School had spent more than a decade pleading for perimeter fencing, with the lack of security exposing pupils and staff to repeated break-ins, armed robberies, vandalism and dangerous live electrical cables.
More recently, Caritas Primary School also faced security concerns after thieves stole electrical cables from old classrooms at the back of the school during the recent school holidays.
Although the incident did not disrupt teaching and learning, it highlighted the vulnerability of schools with inadequate security measures and the ongoing need for improved infrastructure to safeguard pupils and staff.
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