Eastern Cape water utility Amatola Water Board is expected to explain its role in providing water and sanitation to rural schools in the Alfred Nzo District, when it meets with a delegation of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) this week.
The NCOP is conducting report-back visits to the province to follow up on progress in the implementation of recommendations made during the Taking Parliament to the People programme in 2016.
The NCOP was told that Amatola has been contracted by the Eastern Cape Department of Education to provide water and sanitation to schools in the Alfred Nzo District, yet most schools in the region do not have water and proper sanitation.
The NCOP heard during an oversight visit to Mosa Sibi Secondary School in Matatiele that Amatola left unfinished the drilling of a borehole for water supply to the school. School management told the NCOP delegation that Amatola was called to rehabilitate a borehole at the school that was producing dirty water. After they came, the dirty water continued. Amatola then said it would drill a new borehole, but this one they reportedly left unfinished. Since March last year the school has been waiting for Amatola to install a water pump and pipes to connect water to the school. Now they have to buy water from private supplier, which is expensive.
Mr Phello Parkies, co-leader of the delegation said implementing agents cannot leave work unfinished. “Our implementing agents are failing us, but also there is no monitoring from the side of the department and this allowed the service provider to leave before finishing the work … If they are claiming money every month for work not done, that will be corruption. We must investigate,” said Mr Parkies.
At Bethel Primary School, the NCOP was told that it costs the school about R3 400 to purchase 10 000 litres of water for drinking and cooking, and a further R400 for 5 000 litres of unclean water for toilet flushing. The school had its own borehole, but it ran dry within a year, forcing management to buy water.
NCOP delegate Mr Ockie Terblanche said most of the schools in the Matatiele rural areas were dealing with the same issues and he urged the department to come up with a proper implementation plan. “We cannot have our children in schools without basic services like water and toilets. That is unacceptable,” he said.
Apart from the infrastructure challenges facing schools in the Alfred Nzo District, high pregnancy rates and drug use among learners are other challenges. At one school, the principal told the NCOP that some families in local villages do not mind if young people live together. The Department of Health has partnered with the schools to conduct awareness campaigns.
Adding to the challenges, rural schools struggle to recruit teachers, especially in maths and science.
Sakhile Mokoena
15 March 2018
Arrange a tour