Mfundekelwa Mkhulisi

Mfundekelwa Mkhulisi

Khutsong residents near Carletonville have firmly decided that no school is going to be closed in their township.

The resolution was taken at a meeting held at a local stadium yesterday.

"We have agreed that no school is going to be closed," said Merafong Demarcation Forum spokesman Jomo Mogale.

"We will not allow the government to impose on us. These schools belong to Khutsong people and they are the ones who can decide about their future."

He said the community and school governing bodies were outraged that the Education Department was taking decisions without consulting them.

Mogale said the way the government was dealing with the situation in Khutsong was undemocratic and reminded most people of apartheid methods.

"We fought for freedom but that freedom has been taken away from us," he said.

North West's department of education announced last week that they were considering closing 12 schools affected by protests in Khutsong.

"How can you make such utterances without consulting with all the stakeholders?" Mogale asked.

Khutsong residents have embarked on a protest against the incorporation of their municipality into North West.

Meanwhile, Mogale, who is also the principal of Badirile High School, is one of the suspended teachers who has been summoned to appear before the department's disciplinary committee scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

Mogale said he felt he was being singled out by the department because of his position on the Khutsong matter.