The Gauteng Legislature’s Multiparty Women Caucus (MPWC) visited the Ezibeleni School for Physically Disabled Children in Katlehong on January 24.
The visit, led by the chairperson of the Gauteng Multiparty Women Caucus, Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi, formed part of the school oversight programme.
The school was identified for its critical role in society, as it caters specifically for learners with physical disabilities.
Despite being one of the oldest schools in the City of Ekurhuleni, having been built and officially unveiled in 1986 by the then Honourable Willem Adriaan Cruywagen, administrator of the Transvaal (TVL), the institution has faced numerous challenges.
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In December, GCN reported that civil engineers were on site conducting reconnaissance investigations as part of a geological assessment to determine soil and dolomitic conditions contributing to sinkholes and ground instability on the school property.
Chairperson of the Gauteng Multiparty Women Caucus, Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi, addresses the audience at the assembly.
The assessment involved the collection of on-site data to inform further fieldwork, including pit excavations and percussion drilling.
Located behind the school is the abandoned Natalspruit Hospital site, which was previously affected by sinkholes. The facility was later rebuilt and reopened as Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital in Vosloorus.
Furthermore, the issue of sinkholes remains a serious concern, as it poses a significant threat to the safety of learners and staff.
Among the issues raised during an office meeting with the SGB, school staff, and the MPWC was the condition of the school bus.
School leadership explained that the bus has been in use for 18 years and was already second-hand at the time of acquisition.
The current situation is that the bus frequently experiences brake failures and mechanical breakdowns.
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“This is a major concern, as it is unsafe for anyone to use. We are having sleepless nights worrying about this bus,” the school leadership said.
“We have written to and contacted the department for assistance, but we have not received any positive response. The bus transports a large number of learners, and should an accident occur, the situation would be catastrophic,” said Sibongiseni Mkhize.
In addition, the school continues to experience persistent plumbing problems due to constant underground movement, as the facility is situated on dolomitic ground.
“We have a hostel accommodating more than 30 learners that could potentially collapse or disappear overnight. Our children’s safety is under threat every day,” said Mkhize.
The school accommodates learners from other provinces, including Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. This further heightens concerns among school leaders, who fear having to explain to parents outside the province what may have happened to children whose safety was entrusted to the institution.
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The local councillor for Ward 52, Sibusiso Dlamini, told the panel during the debriefing session that the challenges affecting the school go beyond routine operational issues.
He explained that discussions to relocate the school had taken place, but progress has since stalled.
“We were informed that the school would be relocated to a piece of land within Ekurhuleni, but that land has since been developed into a car dealership in Daveyton. We are now left with a school that could disappear due to ground instability and is also constantly exposed to criminal elements,” he said.
“I have taken the matter to council for discussion, but this has not yet yielded any concrete outcomes,” he added.
Dlamini emphasised the importance of the school to the local community, noting that it is one of the oldest institutions in the area.
“Our presence here for the school is crucial because these children need love and support to cope with daily life and its challenges.
Having members of the legislature here means that some of our concerns have reached the right ears, hence the need for them to come and see the situation for themselves,” said Dlamini.
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Mokgethi also serves as chairperson of the Human Settlements Portfolio Committee in the Gauteng Legislature.
During her visit, she addressed learners in the school hall, where she handed over a cheque of R40 000 as a donation to the school.
Following the assembly, the MPWC delegation, school leadership, SGB members and the local councillor convened a debriefing session at the principal’s office.
During this engagement, all stakeholders outlined the challenges facing the school and discussed possible solutions.
Mokgethi told the media that the school had been identified as one of the institutions to be visited in January in order to assess challenges firsthand.
“Before our visit, researchers from the committee conducted preliminary investigations, including environmental studies,” she said.
“When we arrived at the school, both the leadership and the councillor raised a number of serious concerns.”
She said that, because the school caters for learners with disabilities, the MPWC had resolved to adopt the institution and assist where possible.
“The school has raised its issues, which were also seconded by the councillor. As the Multi-Party Women Caucus, we advocate for the elderly, women and children. Our mandate aligns with the work this school is doing,”said Mokgethi.
“We have visited other schools with able-bodied learners, but this one truly inspired us. We want to visit schools where we can make a meaningful impact, and being here touched us deeply. That is why we took the initiative to adopt this school.”
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She noted that crime and bullying were common challenges across many schools visited by the caucus, particularly during the December school closure, when vandalism often occurs.
“What we did not find here was drug dealing among learners. The learners are disciplined, and the principal runs the school with a high level of order,” she said.
Mokgethi also highlighted the serious safety concerns surrounding the school bus, which is not fully functional.
“We have seen what has recently happened in Vanderbijlpark, and we will be taking this matter forward and calling for urgent intervention,” she said.
She added that the R40 000 donation was made as a token of appreciation and as a demonstration of the caucus’s commitment to working with the school.
Mokgethi said that the discussions made it clear that the visit was not merely symbolic.
“We are not here to pay lip service, but to elevate the school’s challenges on the agenda and to ensure that the necessary resources are mobilised so the school can function effectively,” said Mokgethi.
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