Parents concerned about their children’s health shut down a school because of raw sewage that spilled onto the grounds.
On Monday they went to Sikelela Imizamo Primary School in Crossroads armed with tyres and placards.
School governing body chairperson Nobuhle Mbonyana says that they started taking the learners out of the school last Thursday.
“We mostly fear for their safety, we couldn’t let the children breathe stinky air so we made the decision to take them out of the school until the problem is resolved.
“It has been three months since they had been asking the City to fix the problem and we kept getting different reference numbers,” she explains.
“And so we became tired of waiting for them to make things right.”
The chairperson says they will keep their kids at home even during the exams.
“Sadly, this problem will affect the children’s education because we have decided to postpone the exams.”
The Western Cape Education Department says they are aware of the problem.
Spokeswoman Millicent Merton explains: “Drains in the road close to the school were blocked and affected the school.
“The CoCT is attending to the blocked sewer and clean-up.”
This is not the first time parents have closed a school because of a faeces problem.
In September, Spurwing Primary in Eerste River shut down for a week until the sewage was removed from school grounds.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za