Community protests against lack of classrooms at Limpopo school

Members of a Limpopo community gathered outside the offices of the provincial department of education on Wednesday to demand more classrooms.

The Mahwetse High School in GaMasemola Village in Sekhukhune has apparently been struggling with overcrowding for the past 15 years. The school has to accommodate 836 pupils in eight classrooms.

 Some of the parents who were marching carried placards with the words “Enough is Enough! We need classes” written on them.

 One of the concerned parents‚ Lesheleba Bapela‚ read out a memorandum of demands which was addressed to the provincial education department and the office of the premier in Polokwane.

 Bapela said they were tired of watching their children being packed in classrooms like sardines.

 She said the issues of overcrowding at the school had been raised with the department since 1998 but nothing was being done.

 “We are disappointed that the department is not prepared to listen to our grievances‚” Bapela said.

 She said instead of building additional classrooms the department‚ built them more toilets which they do not need.

 The community has given the provincial department 14 working days to respond to their demands.

 The memorandum was received by the head of department‚ Beauty Muthaiwana.

 Muthaiwana assured the marching parents that they would receive a response from the department before June 5.