KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Mbali Frazer has intervened in an alleged violent incident that took place at Skofill Secondary School, Bulwer, in the Harry Gwala District on Friday.
It is believed that a group of learners fought each other and when an educator tried to diffuse the situation, the students turned on the teacher.
Frazer called for an urgent meeting with all relevant stakeholders at the school on Tuesday. It was disclosed that the main cause of the fight was the shortage of furniture at the school. Due to the seriousness of the matter representatives from the Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Local Municipality, Local Traditional Authorities and members of the community were part of the meeting.
Frazer said her office had never received a report that the school had a furniture shortage.
“The school management never submitted a request for the additional desks to the relevant section of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education. No learner must feel discouraged to attend school because of the shortage of desks and chairs,” said Frazer.
Frazer condemned the alleged violent incident at the school, issuing a directive that all the required desks and chairs to be delivered to Skofill Secondary School before the 17th of February 2023 and two mobile classrooms to be delivered to the school before the end of February 2023.
Other maintenance matters were said to be as a result of crime and vandalism and Local Traditional Authorities as well as the community made a commitment to help the police protect the school from vandals.
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