KZN Head of Treasury, Simiso Magagula brought much joy to 334 learners of Qongwane Primary School, Mbazwana on Thursday during a handover of water infrastructure installed at the school.
Located at the water-scarce area of Mbazwana, the school is now the only one to have unrestricted clean water supply, after many years of the pupils’ suffering.
Magagula’s water infrastructure intervention includes the extension of the existing water reservoir to include all tanks, excavation, trench digging, connecting the school garden to tanks, connection to new school toilets, placing stand pipes with taps, borehole pump automation to the main outflow line as well as the installation and securing of all Jojo tanks.
Speaking during the handover, Magagula said this is an engineering project born through the KZN government’s Operation Sukuma Sakhe.
‘We want our children to focus on studying without having to suffer due to a lack of necessary school infrastructure.
‘There was no budget for this intervention, but it was important we do something for the children of this school,’ he said.
School principal thanks treasury
School Principal Khululiwe Mkhize said the school has been without water for a long time, and they were struggling, adding it was painful to see small children in need of drinking water.
‘With this intervention by the treasury, we feel blessed and life will be normal from now on.
‘We do have other challenges. The boys and girls are compelled to share toilets, instead of using separate lavatories.
‘Another problem facing the school is theft. Last year our office was broken into on two occasions. Laptops, a water pump and other equipment were stolen.
‘We urgently need security and fencing to protect our school property,’ Mkhize lamented.
Grade 7 pupil Cebo Mthembu added, ‘Whenever there was no water at the school, we would be sent home and this affected our learning.
‘Now that we have uninterrupted water supply, we will be able to learn without any disruptions, unlike our neighbouring schools.’
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