Kuruman protesters face legal action

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga says people who have prevented children from going to school in Kuruman and burned down some schools will be prosecuted. Image: GCIS

A group calling itself the Road Forum began protesting in Kuruman in June. The group wants a 130km stretch of road in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality be tarred.

The protesters have stopped learners and educators from going to school and some school buildings have been burned. Reports from the province say 16,000 learners at 54 schools are being deprived of education. Of these, 496 are in matric.

At a media briefing over the weekend, Motshekga said it was unacceptable for learners to be used as bargaining chips in protests.

The briefing followed a meeting of the Council of Education Ministers.

"We have opened criminal cases against those people who are preventing learners from going to school. The meeting was extremely disturbed by the number of community protests that have negatively impacted on education in various parts of the country, including Kuruman, Grabouw and Sterkspruit, among others.

"We urge communities to take ownership of schools and protect them no matter what. Education must be prioritised above all else," said Motshekga.

Matrics in Kuruman will not be able to sit for the upcoming final examinations but will instead write their matric exams in March 2015.

The province has provided a detailed catch-up and recovery plan for all the schools if learners are permitted to return to school and resume the normal teaching and learning programme.

Committee chairman Nomalungelo Gina says that the way learners are being compromised by service delivery protests is a major concern for government. Image: Google+

More support for learners

Meanwhile, the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has asked for intensified learner support in communities where service delivery protests have disrupted schooling.

Chairman of the Committee, Nomalungelo Gina, said the manner in which learners have been compromised is concerning.

"The committee understands the issues the communities have raised, but realising them should not be at the expense of our children's education.

"Infrastructure, water and houses are all delivery aspects that spheres of government are working hard to achieve," Gina said.

"Education, especially for children who are from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, should be a priority. Parliament will not compromise on this, and will do all that is possible to ensure a better life for all and that South Africa - whether rural or urban - is a literate nation," she said.

The committee will this week go on a fact-finding visit to the two districts, John Taolo Gaetsewe in the Northern Cape and Sterkspruit in the Eastern Cape.