Education

Storms leave Limpopo pupils without roofs, classes held under tree

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By Alex Japho Matlala

More than 600 pupils attending Muvhavha Secondary School in Limpopo are studying under trees after storms affected the area last year.

The school is in Tswinga village outside Thohoyandou. This contradicts the provincial department’s claim this year that there were no longer tree, mud or shack classrooms in Limpopo.

“We no longer have mud schools but we still have blocks that were built by community members some moons back.

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Department’s claim of no tree, mud or shack classrooms

“Some are still intact and others we are demolishing,” the department said in the first week of the 2025 school academic year.

However, Limpopo basic education spokesperson Mike Maringa confirmed on Wednesday that pupils at Mavhavha Secondary School in the Vhembe region attending classes under trees.

But he added this was an exception caused by recent vicious storms that ravaged the province, blowing school roofs off and damaging school buildings.

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“It is not like these children do not have classes, they do. The only challenge is they do different streams. When they are supposed to change and do maths that is when there is a problem. They go under a tree because those in the commercial stream will occupy the classroom space,” Maringa said.

He said he was not aware of any other school in the province with a similar problem.

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He added the school management team’s request for two mobile classrooms was approved.

School requested mobile classrooms

“The unfortunate part is that the mobiles were later given to schools whose roofs were blown away by the storm. But theirs are still coming,” Maringa said.

After an oversight visit to the school this week, DA spokesperson on education Jacques Smalle said: “We have written to education MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya to urgently assist.

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“The school has more than 600 pupils and not enough classrooms for all of them.

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“It is clear that the school is plagued by poor infrastructure, overcrowding, dilapidated classroom furniture and a severe shortage of adequate resources,” he said.

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Smalle said the MEC needed to urgently provide mobile classrooms.

“The province’s department must prioritise addressing historical challenges.

Department must prioritise addressing historical challenges

“The challenge of billions of rands in school infrastructure backlogs and classroom shortages affects the quality of education.

“The Limpopo department of education has failed these pupils and teachers by not fulfilling its mandate to provide a conducive environment for learning and teaching,” he said.

The storm damage to schools in Limpopo for this financial year will cost the department R570 million.

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Published by
By Alex Japho Matlala
Read more on these topics: Limpopopupilsstorm