KwaZulu-Natal Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer highlighted the urgent need to address infrastructure concerns faced by schools in the province. As the academic year begins, Meyer’s focus is on ensuring that every child starts the school year with the necessary resources, including textbooks, stationery, and a conducive learning environment.

Meyer donated stationery to the Durban School for the Hearing Impaired in eManzimtoti on Thursday-the school serves 350 pupils, including those who are deaf, have autism, or are mentally challenged.

“We are still concerned about the infrastructure that we see in our schools in KwaZulu-Natal, and we are making it a priority this year. And I work very closely with my counterpart in Education to work on infrastructure, but also making sure that the children start the year with everything they need,” Meyer said. 

“We know there are challenges with providing all the textbooks, all the stationery that is needed, and we feel that all of us also have a role to play.” 

Meyer urged communities in eManzimtoti and across KZN to support schools, to engage with their local School Governing Bodies and contribute any assistance they can, whether it is donating stationery. He said communities should work together to ensure children are given the best possible chance to shine and to build the province and country going forward. 

“This school, I’m very passionate about. I said last year that I’m adopting this school, and I come here regularly. This road is the road I drive on. I live in this community, and the children of this school are children I’m absolutely passionate about, because we need to do more to include all South Africans, those with disabilities, as well,” Meyer said. 

Principal Phumlile Ngcobo expressed gratitude for what their neighbour Meyer and his team have done. 

“We are so grateful, guys. We thank you. We thank you for this visit and these gifts that you came with, because we have learners who are very, very needy. We believe and hope it will play a good role for our learners. Thank you so much. Please come again,” Ngcobo said. 

She said the school is old with old buildings, some of which have termites. There’s a lot, but we’re hopeful that little by little, it will get better. 

“We have a shortage of classrooms, there are no teacher aides, but most significantly, we don’t have therapists. We know that when working with these children, you need a therapist. Parents have to take their children to hospitals so their children can get help. We don’t even have a nurse, there’s nothing,” Ngcobo said. 

Meyer highlighted that it is safe to say that all 76 special needs schools in the province are in urgent need of refurbishment.

He said that the lack of prioritised maintenance in the province was a significant past failure, leading to major issues. Addressing small problems promptly is cost-effective; neglecting them results in substantial expense.

“Now we’re working with our colleagues in education, just to remind everyone as well that the budget for maintenance comes from the client departments, not from us. We have to work with those departments to say, ‘All right, this is what we’ve identified, what budget is available’, and within those budget constraints, we have to work on it,” Meyer said. 

He added that within the next few months, they will complete Menzi High School, an example of a school that urgently needed help and where the department has worked hard. 

thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za

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