On a more serious note this week… the neglect of rural schools in our region is disturbing, if not downright shameful. Two articles in our recent editions illustrate the point.
At a crime imbizo in Groutville, it took two brave schoolboys to stand up and beg the police to intervene and bring an end to the gangsterism and uncontrollable drug dealing at their schools, which seriously disrupt their education.
This problem is evident at many other schools.
Pupils and teachers are held at ransom by a criminal element among pupils who hold sway.
The school kids are, among other things, intimidated, robbed of their daily travel money and even forced to sell drugs. Teachers put their own lives at risk by trying to protect the innocent pupils.
Another issue left unattended by authorities is the problem of unacceptable ablution facilities at rural schools.
During a recent visit to KwaDukuza schools by DA party representatives, the following was found:
• At one school, 14 flush toilets were installed but rendered unusable because of a broken borehole which nobody fixes. The almost 400 pupils and staff share two pit toilets.
• At another, the 330 pupils must relieve themselves in the bush.
• A principal is forced to fetch water from a nearby river for children and staff to drink, wash their hands and use for cooking.
• Of 65 schools visited (including areas outside of the North Coast), only five did not have pit toilets.
And so on. Under such conditions rural kids, already facing almost insurmountable odds to compete against their peers receiving quality education at urban and private schools, find themselves in a desperately handicapped situation.
And nobody seems to care. Apart from the usual lame duck “undertakings to address the situation”, responsible authorities remain unresponsive, unwilling or powerless to take decisive action and come to the rescue.
They deserve six of the best.
Rugby World Cup anxiety
Injuries and illness have left the Springboks brains trust with a dilemma – and rugby fans uneasy.
The loss of lock Lood de Jager is perhaps less serious with man mountain wrecking machine RG Snyman and in-form Jean Kleyn to plug the gap next to Eben Etzebeth, while one feels Andre Esterhuizen and Jesse Kriel can adequately partner with Damian de
Allende in the midfield to compensate for Lukhanyo Am’s absence.
But the loss of match-winner flyhalf Handrè Pollard is the main area of concern.
So it is down to Manie Libbok and Damian Willemse to dictate matters from behind the scrum.
Libbok is a quality player and the obvious alternative after playing the role in recent weeks, while Willemse is an X-factor utility back.
But (in my humble opinion) they often go off the boil and simply do not bring the level of confidence, consistency and goal-kicking ability of Pollard – crucial factors to winning the World Cup.
The seeming madness of selecting four scrumhalves and only one specialist No 10 obviously raised eyebrows among pundits and fans.
As one commentator remarked however, Rassie Erasmus, and by default coach Jacques Nienaber, always have a plan for a plan.
Don’t be surprised to see Pollard still slipping in the back door during the World Cup. We pray.
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