Government officials visited the Solomon Mahlangu Primary School in Cornubia, north of Durban, to officially open the school on Friday.  

In July 2019, the sod-turning for the construction of the school, clinic, community hall, sports facilities, and park took place. eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba said this development aligns with the eThekwini Municipality’s commitment to building dignified human settlements. Approximately 2,600 houses were occupied in Cornubia. 

The school began with mobile classrooms and just 151 learners. Today, it boasts state-of-the-art infrastructure and over 1,800 learners from Grade R to Grade 7. 

“This impressive institution honours veteran freedom fighter, Solomon Mahlangu, serving as a legacy of hope and education. The school is expected to be earmarked as a fully functional smart school, which will contribute to the intellectual growth and development of its learners,” stated the eThekwini Municipality. 

Addressing parents and the community during the official opening, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for the Department of Education (DoE), Sipho Hlomuka, said: “It is important to appreciate the good that the government is doing for the development of communities. This is a public school; we need the community to protect it.”

Sbongile Nkosi-Tembe, who is the director of the DoE Pinetown district, thanked all the role-players who participated in making the school reach this level.

“This is an important public infrastructure; take care of it,” Nkosi-Tembe said.

Patrick Phembela, a community leader in Cornubia, said words could not describe the community’s reaction to the new school and were now looking forward to discussions around building a secondary school in the future. He said that the community noted the quality of the school’s construction and design.

“When we arrived here, there was no school; later, a temporary school was created. The children had to walk across the dangerous R102 to access schools in Phoenix. Many children died when they were knocked down by motor vehicles. We are elated to have a new school within the area, which saves on travelling costs for parents,” Phembela stated. 

Thinta Cibane, ANC eThekwini Regional spokesperson, said the school will benefit the community of Cornubia and the surrounding areas, reflecting a shared commitment to education and progress. 

“The school is rightfully named after one of the young Struggle heroes, Solomon Mahlangu. The state-of-the-art facilities found at the school are in line with international standards, and the children of this community will benefit from the fruits of freedom that he spoke about,” Cibane said.

He added that the DoE is investing in the future of working-class children by providing quality education as a foundation for prosperity.

“We urge the community to look after this asset, which is administered by the government but owned by the people themselves. We ask that they ensure that it is kept in good condition and that no opportunistic tendencies are allowed to take root in this school,” he said. 

Cibane said it was the view of the ANC that such high-quality infrastructure must serve as a beacon of hope for what is possible when all stakeholders work together for the benefit of the community. 

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

Source link