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The reopening of schools in the Northern Cape has brought to light the detrimental effects of loadshedding and poor delivery of municipal services on school communities.

Representatives of the Democratic Alliance visited schools that struggle with unreliable water supply, which is partly caused by loadshedding, which makes it challenging to pump water from reservoirs, and partially due to municipal bursts. Yesterday, while temperatures soared above 35°, schools in Kimberley were left without water as the Sol Plaatje Municipality unexpectedly shut supply from the reservoir to fix a burst pipe. This particular burst had already been reported earlier in the week and had the municipality responded quicker, schools would not have suffered as much.

Without water, it is impossible to maintain adequate sanitation and hygiene standards. It also makes it difficult to maintain sport fields.

Additionally, some school communities, like Petrusville High School in Petrusville, have dilapidated facilities that cannot offer safe recreational opportunities to learners. I will be raising this issue sharply with the department in the year ahead.

Schools cannot thrive without proper municipal services and schooling cannot take place in the dark. We've raised our concerns about the impact of dysfunctional municipal services on school communities in meetings held with the Northern Cape Department of Education through the years. Loadshedding now worsens these dysfunctionalities and worsens learning losses.

We call on members of society that care about the education sector to sign our petition against tariff increases at https://www.notoincreases.co.za and to join our march against loadshedding on the 25th of January 2023.

Issued by Priscilla Isaacs, MPL - DA Northern Cape Provincial Spokesperson on Education