The asbestos situation in Toekomsrus has reached boiling point and the fear is now that school children are being exposed to the dangerous substance.
Jacques Julius, Democratic Alliance member in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has brought to light the situation at Randfontein Secondary School (RSS). He said there is exposed asbestos inside the school buildings.
“When maintenance work disturbs [the] asbestos matter, or [it] deteriorates over time, asbestos dust can enter the air and be inhaled. Exposure to the dust puts any person at an increased risk for mesothelioma, lung cancer and other serious lung conditions,” Julius said.
Julius explained that this life-threatening matter was revealed in a recent NCOP Week. In addition to the health risks this poses, he added that the aesthetic of the school is being destroyed.
“If the lives of pupils and teachers were of paramount importance to the Department [of Education], it ought to be moving swiftly to eradicate the asbestos backlog in schools,” he said.
RSS is not the only school affected. Julius explained that Gauteng as a whole has yet to do away with asbestos materials in buildings.
He said that the DA will submit written questions to Panyaza Lesufi, the Gauteng MEC for Education, to ascertain how many schools have the same problem, where they are and what will be done regarding the situation.
“The DA vows to hold MEC Lusufi to his commitment to eradicate all asbestos in school buildings in Gauteng in the next two years,” he said.
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