ICYMI: Lesufi addresses issues on schools’ reopening

Gauteng MEC of Education Panyaza Lesufi hosted a media briefing at Midrand High School on 8 June.

The briefing saw the MEC share information on the reopening of schools, with the department confirming that there was an 85 per cent attendance among teachers and learners. He also gave updates on the recent incident at Pinnacle College and an update on the Enoch Mpianzi case.

The MEC confirmed that the Department of Education will be engaging with the legal team representing the family of Enoch Mpianzi who announced that they will be suing the Department of Education for R10 million.

With regard to the Pinnacle College incident, where a teacher threatened to put a knee on a learner’s neck, he said that the department met with the management and parents of Pinnacle College.

Spokesperson for the Department of Education Steve Mabona said that the school had suspended the teacher involved and the principal of the school, and a disciplinary process will begin on 11 June.

Lesufi said that out of the 2 084 schools in Gauteng with Grade 7 and 12 learners, only nine schools didn’t open. He said, “The reason those schools didn’t open is purely issues of vandalism, shortage of water as well as sanitation challenges.”

He added that the department has received positive feedback from teachers, learners, parents and communities around the schools. Some of the temperature scanners provided to schools were not working, which has been escalated to the Department of Education’s invention team who managed to change those scanners.

He added that in some instances, the department had to revert to surgical masks due to problems with the quality of the cloth masks. “I’ve already communicated this decision to the MEC for Health [Bandile Masuku] because it is the Department of Health who are procuring the masks and I’m quite certain this matter will be sorted out.”

The department recorded a number of break-ins during the previous weekend which influenced the availability of personal protective equipment and scanners. This includes an incident that took place in Orange Farm where the police intervened and managed to recover one vehicle with the supplies while another fled the scene.

Many learners used public transport to get to school through 212 bus companies that were contracted through the department.
Lesufi said that there were some problems, including buses without conductors and bus companies reporting that they had no sanitiser and couldn’t help on the day as well as some buses that were not sanitised. He said that 136 disinfectant stations will be provided across the province.

He added that the department has also deployed Covid-19 brigades. “Though we had successfully recruited Covid-19 brigades, many of them are in the process of being deployed to schools. It’s important to clarify that the brigades are an additional resource to the school but that other personnel have been assigned to deal with screening and other issues.

“A number of cases of Covid-19 positive teachers were reported by the Department of Health. These cases arose prior to schools reopening for teachers.”
Lesufi concluded, “Currently [8 June] we have recorded 39 Covid-19 positive cases, from 38 schools and 38 cases under investigation.”

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