Schoolchildren advised to stay home
PUPILS in parts of Gauteng are missing school because of the water crisis that has hit parts of the country.
Municipalities in the province implemented water restrictions this week and urged residents to use water sparingly.
But in Robertsham, Johannesburg, schoolchildren have been advised to stay home until the water crisis in the area has been resolved.
Gauteng education spokeswoman Phumla Sekhonyane confirmed that several schools within the area have been affected by water shortages. On Tuesday, 1 300 pupils at Winchester Ridge Primary School were turned away because of the problem.
Office administrator Jill Seabra said: “We immediately sent SMSes to parents notifying them that they should keep their children at home or fetch those already at school. We had to buy water for the learners who were already at the school and had no one to fetch them.
“When we called Rand Water they said their tanks were sitting at 2.3 metres instead of 6m, and they had no idea how long the water shortage was going to take.”
Sekhonyane said the school had completed the syllabus and was now doing revisions.
“It is advisable to keep learners at home whilst the department is making alter- native arrangements to ensure that drinking water is available before the end of this week,” she said.
She said temporary toilets would also be provided in the interim. Once water is restored, the school will then send out messages to the parents to notify them so that pupils can return, Sekhonyane said.
Hot weather conditions have caused dams, rivers and reservoirs to dry up.
In Coronationville, also in Johannesburg, parents said their children were also missing school because there was no water in the area. They are now forced to go to Helen Joseph Hospital to fetch water.
The hospital has two taps with running water.