Schools shut down for COSAS march to mall
Secondary schools in Katlehong were shut down as early as 9am on Friday, August 17, as learners marched peacefully to Enoch Sontonga Mall to hand over a memorandum to the mall’s management.
The Congress of South African Students (COSAS) in Katlehong South led the march.
COSAS claims that Enoch Sontonga Mall’s management is unfair towards the community, because they spend their hard-earned money at the mall but don’t get anything in return for their support.
Martin Makaile, COSAS regional executive committee (REC) member from Thuto Pele Secondary School, said that the mall is named after the local political icon, Enoch Sontonga, but is owned by people from outside the township. He alleged that the mall’s owners do not care about the well-being of the locals.
“Our parents are spending their hard-earned money doing their shopping here in this mall, but when it comes to giving back to the community, the management of this shopping centre thinks of giving back to the schools from outside Katlehong,” he claimed.
“If you pass by the schools in the suburbs you will find beautiful libraries and sports facilities, and there will be a big board with the words ‘These facilities were contracted by Enoch Sontonga Mall’. Meanwhile we sustain injuries by training in the dusty sports facilities in the township.
“We do not even have enough libraries in the township. For us to access libraries to do our school tasks we have to travel as far as a couple of kilometres.
“The sad part is that not even a single person from the suburbs spend their money here, it is our parents,” said Makaile.
He added: “What we are doing today is seeking justice for our parents.”
The shops in the mall had to stop trading for a couple of hours while members of COSAS were in discussion with the mall’s management.
The discussions were held under the supervision of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) and the South African Police Service (SAPS). The mall’s security guards made sure that not a single learner in uniform entered the mall’s premises.
The demands in the COSAS memorandum included requests for the mall’s assistance with the following:
• Rehabilitation of school libraries.
• Sports and development facilities within the schools.
• Donation of school uniforms.
• Donation of sanitary towels.
• Internships and bursaries.
• Each One Teach One programme.
COSAS gave the mall’s management 14 days to respond to the demands. When the 14 days are up, COSAS will send its executive committee to meet with the mall’s management.
The memorandum was received by Anne Dire, the mall manager, who said she couldn’t make promises at that time because she had to send the memorandum to the mall’s head office via email.
“But I promise to get back to you after 14 days. I will have something to report to you by then, even though I can’t say it will be something positive.
“But we will have a meeting for feedback after 14 days,” said Dire.
The deadline for feedback is August 31.
Dire referred Kathorus MAIL to Robyn Gedrych, the marketing manager of the mall.
Gedrych said: “The mall is under the banner of Capital Land, which is committed to education and community upliftment in the Katlehong community. The following educational support and community upliftment programmes have been implemented in the community on behalf of Sontonga Mall.
“We have the Academic Prize Programme, where we present awards annually to the top academic learner in Grade 6 for primary schools and Grade 11 for high schools.
“We also have the Barefoot No More Project. This programme has developed a unique school shoe which can stretch to accommodate a growing foot while remaining perfectly comfortable, is waterproof and does not cause blisters or require shoe polish.“Sontonga Mall has donated pairs of school shoes together with stationery sets and book bags to learners in the Katlehong community. The donation of 1 395 pairs of school shoes to Chivrikani Primary School and the donation of 1 950 pairs of school shoes to Abram Hlope Primary School took place in 2017. A further 1 600 pairs of school shoes will be donated to Tamaho Primary School in 2018, bringing the total number of school shoes donated to 4 958.
“The Lap Desk Project. Lap desks are portable, light and durable desks which provide a solution for children who don’t have desks. The desk sits on the child’s lap, providing them with a surface to write on, whether they are sitting on a chair or on the floor. The donation of 1 517 lap desks will be made to learners at Thabo-Tona Primary in the last quarter of 2018.
“We also have Memeza Personal Safety Alarms. A donation of 115 Memeza Personal Safety Alarms will be given to women and the elderly in the community in September 2018.”
