Umbilo school wary of criminals and critters

ROBBERIES, rodents and health risks – theses are a few of the concerns raised by Port Natal Pre-Primary School. Staff members are at their wits end as an overgrown plot of land, adjacent to the school, has become a breeding ground for criminals and critters.

According to the school’s secretary, Erica Bezuidenhout, the plot belongs to the Department of Education. She said containers were brought in when plans to build a school for Autistic learners were passed.

Now, about two years later, the building plans have been abandoned and the containers were left behind. What’s more, Bezuidenhout said several trees were cut down for construction and left on the premises.

“The piece of ground has been neglected. Maintenance has not been done and its become a health hazard for us,” she said.

Health concerns were sparked when rodents appeared on the school’s property.

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“We are concerned about a potential health risk as we enter summer. We have had rodents appearing in our classrooms and it’s because of the overgrown bushes. Snakes might appear now too,” she said.

“In two of our store rooms, rodents have started chewing at the posters,” she added. Crime has also increased due to the lack of visibility.

“During the recent looting, people were hiding stolen goods in the grass. We have had numerous break-ins from that side. All the copper pipes have been stolen from our air conditioners and the bathrooms have been vandalised,” said Bezuidenhout.

She said the most recent robbery was in March this year, while vandalism has been an ongoing issue for months.

“Because we are adjacent to the (plot of land), we have been trying to maintain it, but it’s not really our responsibility. We can’t send our staff with their brush cutters to cut the grass because there are tree trunks between the grass and our equipment will be damaged,” she said.

She said the unkept area also tarnishes the image of the school.

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“People drive past and we have a sign on the fence with an arrow pointing up Acton Road to show where our entrance is. People presume this (overgrown bush) is our responsibility, which it’s not,” concluded Bezuidenhout.

She appealed to the community to assist the school with advice on how to best tackle the problem.

The Berea Mail reached out to the Department of Education for comment and spokesperson, Sihle Mlotshwa said the department would look into the matter.

“We are awaiting a report from our infrastructure unit,” he said.

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