Schools in the dark because of the government’s lack of responsibility
The municipality is not budging until the governmental departments are settling their debts.
Schools are feeling the brunt of the non-payment of government bodies.
Last week electricity to several schools was cut because the Department of Education and the Department of Public Works owe the local municipality millions.
“We did give the green light for power to be cut to schools. We have communicated with the different departments reprimanding them to pay their arrears accounts, but it fell on deaf ears,” said local municipal spokesperson Lebo Mofokeng.
He said before the schools were disconnected, a notice was issued to the schools and the two departments.
Mofokeng said the schools were reconnected again without the knowledge of the municipal manager but switched off again shortly afterwards.
Mofokeng said this exercise is part of the municipality’s revenue enhancement strategy aimed at bringing to book all those not paying for their services.
Tius Cronje, chairman of the Technical High School’s governing body said the school was notified of the power cut on April 4.
“We spend two hours at the municipality trying to resolve the matter.
Unfortunately, the power was cut at 15:00 the same afternoon.”
He said the school did receive an email from the Department of Public Works wherein they wrote they are waiting for feedback from ‘higher up’.
“We started the new school term on a generator that is costing a minimum of R5 000 a day. This is totally unacceptable,” Cronje lashed out.
According to Nodine Buchan from Hoërskool Generaal Hertzog, they too are in the same boat.
WITBANK NEWS reached out to both departments, but by the time going to print, there was no feedback.
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