High school students protest over safety and sanitation
Learners bring Cape Town traffic to a halt
Over 100 high school students brought traffic to a halt in Observatory today. They were protesting for better sanitation and safety.
Students from various high schools including Oaklands, Thandokhulu, Khanyisa and Walmer High School blocked main road preventing cars and taxis from passing. Numerous police and traffic officers were on the scene.
Axole Nziweni, a grade 10 pupil from Thandokhulu said that they are protesting because Premier Helen Zille and MEC for Education Debbie Schaffer have not responded to the social audit the organisation submitted. “We want sanitation and security in our schools, we are not safe at the moment,” said Nziweni.
Equal Education undertook a social audit on safety and sanitation and handed an official report to Debbie Schafer, provincial deputy police commissioner Thembekile Patekile and Social Development MEC Albert Fritz. They have tried several times since April to engage with the MEC but say they have encountered resistance.
“We then asked them to attend a public meeting to respond to the social audit but none of them was willing to attend. Learners feel that Schafer is ignoring and disrespecting them by refusing to engage with them. Members of the Executive Council should remember they are public servants,” said Leanne Jansen-Thomas, Head of Policy and Training at Equal Education.
Some of the grievances are that learners are unsafe on their way to schools. Western Cape schools lack toilet paper and soap. Sexual harassment and rape are happening at schools and that only one in four schools have sanitation infrastructure for learners that are disabled.
According to Equal Education member Sibongile Maseko five protests were happening in five different areas simultaneously including Khayelithsha, Strand, Kraaifontein and Langa.
The protest then made its way to Thandokhulu Secondary School where Lance Abrahams, the Chief Education Specialist of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) met with students. Abrahams said that he was only there to listen and take back what was asked.
Students said that they wanted a reply and not someone who was there to listen. “We want a response,” said the student. Abrahams was then asked to leave.
Spokesperson for the MEC of Education Jessica Shelver said that Equal Education could expect a response from the WCED on Monday 24th October 2016.
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