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Groups raise funds for burnt schools

Civil society organisations, education groups and runners have banded together to raise funds for schools in the embattled Vuwani area.

This as the Basic Education Department plans to approach Treasury to request R250-million for damaged schools in the Limpopo district.

Department spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said the money was needed "as soon as yesterday" after 24 schools were damaged in protests over municipal demarcation in the area. He said Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan requested the department to submit a proposal for the release of the funds.

"We cannot put pressure on Treasury to say we need the money by a particular date but the urgency of the matter is obvious. The temporary structures that have been put in place are not sufficient to accommodate everyone, which will lead to a situation of multi-grading," he said.

Meanwhile, the pupil's plight is set to feature prominently at the Comrades Marathon on May 29, with 10 runners so far having pledged to raise R1-million for Vuwani schools.

Chartered Accountant Grathel Motau, 41, is rallying runners to dedicate this year's marathon to raising funds for Vuwani.

"I'm doing it because I have seen the value of education and the fact that I come from of Limpopo. The education that I have been privileged to have has changed my life and Vuwani learners are entitled to that education," she said.

According to the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT), Vuwani schools were in urgent need of building material, 6098 desks and chairs, 26 photocopying machines, 45 printers, 119 cabinets, 50 book shelves as well as stationery.

NECT, in collaboration with Basic Education For All, Helen Suzman Foundation as well as Kagiso Trust yesterday announced an initiative to crowd-source donations to meet these needs in order to get Vuwani back to school. Kagiso Trust donated R1-million within hours of the call, with Rebone Furniture Group pledging R400000 worth of school furniture for 1 000 pupils.

 Cosas yesterday mobilised close to 8000 pupils from townships and informal settlements across Pretoria for its march to police to bring to book the perpetrators in Vuwani.

The pupils Cosas brought to the streets of central Pretoria were all from public schools.

In their memorandum Cosas demanded the closure of all taverns near schools, arrest of drug dealers and the launch of an anti-substance awareness programme in schools.

- Additional reporting by Bongani Nkosi

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