DURBAN - THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has welcomed the reopening of 11 schools in Mkhambathini, in the Midlands.
The 11 schools under the KwaNyavu Traditional Council did not open last week due to chieftaincy disputes. The gates to the schools had been locked and teaching staff received death threats and were told not to attempt to open the schools.
The department’s spokesperson, Muzi Mahlambi, said they were pleased that schooling could begin for pupils.
“We are happy that engaging with the various stakeholders in that area has yielded positive results, and that we now have all our schools back.
“We are hopeful that there will soon be a permanent solution to this debacle to avoid any further interruptions for our students. The office of the premier also intervened in engaging with the relevant factions in that particular area around the chieftaincy issue,” Mahlambi said.
Nhlakanipho Ntombela, mayor of the Mkhambathini Local Municipality, said they welcomed the reopening of the schools.
“The most important thing is to make sure that the rights of students are not violated. We are happy that some consensus was reached by the relevant parties to ensure that schooling commences. We are now making a request for teachers to get up to speed with teaching to make up for lost time. We also hope that the Department of Education and the parents of the children will also play their part in ensuring a smooth transition.”
THE MERCURY