BARBERTON – The Eskom Development Foundation has donated security fencing to Sikhutsele Primary School.
This donation will improve safety in the school and create an optimal learning environment for the 1 488 pupils and educators.
The school had been operating for the past four years without a fence at certain areas on the premises and this allowed community members to walk through the school ground when going to the different sections of the township. This free flow of pedestrians and unauthorised movement within the school’s premises, even at night, made the school vulnerable to incidents of theft and vandalism.
As a result, three blocks were vandalised and electric wiring and lights stolen. Classroom ceilings were also damaged, which affected lessons due to noise travelling unhindered among the different classrooms.
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After learning of the school’s plight, the Eskom Development Foundation arranged for the installation of palisade fencing around the premises. The fencing has helped secure the school’s 24 classrooms, a library, a computer centre, kitchen and administration block. Since installation there have been no reports of criminal incidents or unauthorised access to the school.
Ms Albert Mathabela, principal of Sikhutsele Primary School, says they were grateful for the donation, which has resulted in a much safer environment for the pupils and the school’s assets.
“We can now focus on the main thing, which is to educate the children without having to worry about security issues,” says Mathabela.
This contribution is part of the Eskom Foundation’s commitment to help improve the quality of education in schools around the country. The donation is in line with a transformation programme run by government to bring about meaningful socio-economic development within communities.
The Eskom Development Foundation’s acting chief executive officer, Mr Cecil Ramonotsi, says the organisation – through its various CSI initiatives – was committed to making a meaningful contribution to uplift the standard of living for as many South Africans as possible. “As the Eskom Foundation, we want to effect the kind of change that
will be sustainable and will reverberate into future generations,” says Ramonotsi.
