Hundreds of Mfuleni pupils still in limbo

WITH more than one week into the new school year, the provincial education department still has no answer for parents of hundreds of children occupying a clinic and church in Mfuleni.

Parents and community leaders at Mfuleni are worried that hundreds of their pupils still haven’t been placed in schools.

Education MEC Debbie Schäfer was supposed to meet with parents on Wednesday, but by Thursday, had not done so.

Schäfer’s spokesperson Jessica Shelver said on Wednesday they were aware of the situation in Mfuleni and they were attending to it as a priority through their district and infrastructure officials, and that they were to meet with the community in the afternoon.

Community member Sipho Delana said the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) did not meet with them as promised. However, he was still hoping they would do so.

“Maybe they will consult and engage with us regarding this crisis,” Delana said. “This is a very serious matter. We need... urgent help.”

Delana said they started their “unregistered” school to help children.

“Imagine, we have to feed them. Some girls need sanitary towels and some boys were starting with the smoking habit. We need to be serious with them, all the way.”

Shelver said the WCED would be in a position to provide an update about their meeting and the situation in Mfuleni to the media today.