Thursday, 27 August 2026 || Tel: 021 910 6500 || Fax: 021 910 6501 || Email: cityvision@novusmedia.co.za Website: www.cityvision.co.za
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THE ONGOING STENCH UNBEARABLE TO STAFF AND LEARNERS
Kuyasa Primary closed Sewage pools in front of classrooms at Kuyasa Primary School. PHOTO: UNATHI OBOSE
UNATHI OBOSE unathi.obose@novusmedia.co.za
K
uyasa Primary School in Khayelitsha was temporarily closed after parents protested on Thursday 20 August on the school premises demanding the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) fix a sewage-pipe burst there. Classes were suspended the following day, Friday the 21st until further notice. On Monday 24 August WCED officials from Metro East Education District, together with the leadership of the Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) and School Governing Body (SGB), held a special meeting on the school premises to try and resolve the impasse. Meanwhile, irate residents blockaded the school entrance, singing struggle songs and demanding that the department fix
the mess. After the two-hour meeting the Circuit 1 manager in the Metro East Education District Noloyiso Mtimba-Dube, apologised to the parents for what their children went through. She vowed the department would take responsibility and ensure sewer pipes were repaired. “We hope our apology is accepted. Today, people from the department will come to assess the problem. They will give feedback to the head office. Tomorrow morning we will return to assess if there is any progress. We want all the relevant government departments to come on board to fix the problem.” She said her office would also decide on Tuesday 25 August when classes would resume. However, when City Vision contacted SGB deputy chair Thandiswa Bolani yesterday morning (26 August), to enquire after this she said nothing had changed because the meeting for
this had been postponed because department officials couldn’t attend then. She said a plan was afoot to take some learners to the department’s head office in Cape Town so the officials themselves can teach them. “There is nothing happening here. The school is still closed. There are no contract workers who are working to fix the sewage pipes. So, as parents,
we are here at the school with the learners from Grade 6 and 7.” To City Vision’s enquiry about what had happened to the sewage that lay in front of the classes Bolani said people with chemicals had come to remove it because staff and learners were getting sick. The Grade 7 learners had shifted to the school hall because of it. “The school has faced such prob-
Parents stand at the entrance of Kuyasa Primary School. PHOTO: UNATHI OBOSE
lems since 2019; the department fixes the sewage drains, but they burst again after a few weeks. “We want a permanent solution!” On behalf of the Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) Makhaya Jezile said all that was needed was for learners to return to class and the situation would hopefully be attended to with immediate effect.