Pretoria - The community of Dibeng Village in Matlala, about 90km from Polokwane, has resorted to dismantling a dilapidated school and using the material to build shacks to use as classrooms.
For more than 10 years, the community said they had been begging the provincial government to provide them with a primary school, or fix the dilapidated building, to no avail.
On Tuesday, the Pretoria News reported that hundreds of children from the community had not returned to class because of the condition of the school despite the Limpopo Department of Education approving a plan to relocate them to the nearby Phuthi Seopa Secondary School.
Last term, the community took to the streets to protest and highlight their plight of not having a proper primary school.
They have vowed to take to the streets again, but will start with a sit-in at the department’s headquarters in Polokwane.
On Tuesday, the residents started removing the corrugated iron roof of the school and were building three shacks to house the learners.
Speaking to the Pretoria News yesterday, chairperson of the school governing body Charles Cholo said they were nearly done with the work and their children would use the classrooms soon.
He said the three shacks would complement the mobile classrooms provided by the department when they went to monitor the school.
When asked about the situation at Dibeng Primary School, department spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said: “We are still engaging with stakeholders in this regard. This is work in progress. The principal and government were informed of the directed relocation. The district office has been directed to assist the school in their relocation.”
Pretoria News