Update: Mtuba Football Academy fights for rights
MFA players gathered outside Mtubatuba Primary School's locked gate with banners.
MTUBA Football Academy (MFA) Manager Sheldon Hughes is taking his appeal over the academy’s denial of facilities higher up the education ladder, as he feels his players are being discriminated against.
MFA players gathered outside Mtubatuba Primary School’s locked gate on Saturday morning with banners asking why they can no longer use the school’s field for training.
Hughes has not accepted the School Governing Body’s (SGB) official reasons for the decision, saying they can be easily resolved so training can continue.
The SGB is primarily concerned about a lack of ablution facilities at the field, but Hughes has secured a portable toilet through AfriLoo, who is prepared to sponsor the toilet and maintain it.
Hughes has attempted to involve the Department of Education, but is yet to receive a reply from Mr Zulu at the KwaMsane Circuit Office.
His next step is to contact Thanduyise Motha, uMkhanyakude District Manager for the KZN Department of Education.
Motha told the Zululand Observer it was ‘abnormal’ for a government school to deny communities the use of school facilities for sports, adding that he would contact the school principal.
Yunus Kharwa, a Mtubatuba businessman who has supported MFA since its inception eight years ago, is ‘shocked’ at the school’s decision, saying he never received reports of players’ unruly behaviour at training.
Thema Mbuyazi, a grandparent who joined the protest outside the school grounds, said the school’s decision is ‘crazy’ and doesn’t make sense.
‘The academy is keeping our kids off the streets and away from evil things,’ said Mbuyazi.
Similarly, Mtubatuba SAPS Station Commander commented that when he saw the children at training every Saturday, his mind was at ease that they were not getting up to mischief.
