DA TO APPROACH SAHRC OVER MASINAKANE SPECIAL SCHOOL’S ‘APPALLING CONDITIONS’

BY STAFF REPORTER
Siyabuswa: The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Tuesday that they will approach the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), to take action against Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtsweni- Tsipane, over her failure to address the challenges faced by intellectually and physically challenged learners at Masinakane Special School.
Masinakane Special School, in Allemansdrift B outside Siyabuswa, Department of Education in Mpumalanga, has for many years deprived learners their right to education as a result of shortage of accommodation in the school premises to house them. The special school accommodates a large number of learners with special educational needs, coming from as far as Nelspruit, Ermelo, Carolina, Standerton, Middelburg and Balfour.
According to the party, last year after an oversight visit to the school, the DA alerted the Provincial Department of Education about the challenges faced by the learners and staff of the special school. Late last year, during his visit to the special school, MEC for Education in Mpumalanga, Bonakele Majuba directed officials to fast track all due processes to improve the conditions at Masinakane Special School.
Majuba directed officials to put all systems in place and to report to him on or before 30 November 2020. During that time, the Education Department indicated that it was in collaboration with the Department Public Works, Roads and Transport where they have already appointed a principal agent to facilitate improvements of infrastructure at the special school.
“But the Department of Education did nothing to help until to date. The DA also asked the Premier to visit the school to see the challenges for herself, but she refused. This prompted the DA to lodge a complaint with SAHRC against the Department of Education,” said Jane Sithole, DA Spokesperson on Education.
During the first complaint raised by the DA with the SAHRC against the Education Department, following issues: – Learners at the school are subjected to atrocious conditions, in that they sleep in class-rooms with no ablution facilities to be used at night. The school does not have a hostel. – Since the Covid-19 outbreak, only 31 of the 154 learners are attending school, and the other 124 are confined at home without supervision simply because the department has not provided any facilities for them. According to the DA, a recent response to the party’s questions in the provincial legislature, Premier Mtshweni-Tsipane said the makeshift boarding facilities at Masinakane Special School are not serious and they were contained. The Premier went on to say that the department should in the following financial year start with the planning and design of the boarding facilities, but the implementation will only start later. “The DA requested that the Mtshweni-Tsipane visit Masinakane Special School on two different occasions and the Premier declined twice stating that the DA should write to the chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Education and request the committee to do an oversight,” explained Sithole. She added that during Mtshweni-Tsipane‘s response, it was appalling to witness her indifferent attitude to the serious issue and it appeared that she is not prepared to face or acknowledge the inhumane living conditions of these learners with mild to severe intellectual disabilities. “Teachers and learners of Masinakane Special School have been struggling with poor boarding facilities since 2008, when learners were housed in a dilapidated boarding house. They were then moved into their mobile classrooms due to the boarding school being declared unsafe for living,” Sithole said. Sithole emphasized that the party believes that the Mpumalanga Government had ample time to build boarding school for these learners, yet they have continued to sweep this problem under the carpet. Spokesperson to the Premier, Sibongile Mkani-Mpolweni, was not available for a comment at the time of going to press.