Church services at school cause a racket
SANDOWN - A resident has expressed her frustration with noise coming from Sandown High School during church services every Sunday.
The resident, who does not wish to be named, said the residents of Madison Palms were disgruntled by the noise and singing that comes from the school.
She said, “On Christmas [day] there was a huge gathering at 7am and it lasted for about three hours. The problem is that not only are the church services’ noise levels too loud at the most inconvenient times and disturbing residents, but it brings in a significant amount of traffic and traffic noise as well. The residents now have petitioned and want all services stopped.”
The resident added that she and other complainants have tried to engage the school’s governing body, but the school has not been accommodating. The school has refused to comment to the press and the school governing body chairperson was unavailable for comment.
Ward 103 councillor Vincent Earp said he sympathised with residents regarding the noise and the traffic. “These are bylaw violations and they have to be dealt with by the Department of Environmental Health and the Johannesburg Metro Police,” said Earp. “Requests for intervention have been made with the relevant departments.”
Gideon Cruywagen, the deputy director for Integrated Service Delivery for Region E said his department had raised the matter of noise pollution with environmental health. He said, “If traffic congestion at the school is a nuisance outside normal school hours, then residents can call the Johannesburg Metro Police for assistance on 011 758 9650
011 758 9650.”
Phumla Sekhonyane, spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Education said the South African Schools Act, 84 of 1996 stated that: “The governing body may allow the reasonable use of the facilities of the school for community, social and school fundraising purposes, subject to such reasonable and equitable conditions as the governing body may determine, which may include the charging of a fee or tariff which accrues to the school.”
She added that the conditions of the use of facilities were to be determined by the school governing body.
Do you think the church services at Sandown High School should be stopped? How else can the school raise funds? #Schoolnoise
