Mayville Secondary gets support from businessmen
ANC MP Omi Singh has called on businessmen and parents to start taking ownership of the schools in their areas.
On Thursday, Singh led a group of businessmen who donated paint, garden tools and lawnmowers to the run-down Mayville Secondary School in Durban.
The school, which has no-fee status, has broken windows, doors and roof tiles and the paint is peeling. Much of the fence at the bottom end of the school has gone, with power cables stolen and illegal connections made.
Despite the challenges, the school achieved a 73 percent pass rate last year.
Singh said parents should apply the “sweat equity” model and take pride in ownership.
Singh, who is co-chairman of the Parliamentary ethics and members’ interest committee, said “sweat equity” reduced the amount of paid labour needed for minor renovations at schools.
“Time spent cleaning and painting schools instils a sense of pride and ownership,” he said.
Singh said this was the joint initiative of seven police stations, and a cluster of businessmen from Mayville to the Point area.
Each police station had offered to adopt a school.
Mayville Community Police Forum chairman Sandile Mdluli said: “It is encouraging that businessmen have donated to the school.”