Question NW908 to the Minister of Basic Education

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12 April 2018 - NW908

Profile picture: Tshwaku, Mr M

Tshwaku, Mr M to ask the Minister of Basic Education

Whether she has been informed that there is a sewage spillage at Lindile Secondary School in Ermelo, Mpumalanga; if not, (a) what is the position in this regard and (b) what steps will she take to stop the spillage; if so, (i) by what date will the sewage problem be resolved and (ii) does her department have alternative plans to stop the spillage so that the children are not exposed to the sewage and the diseases it carries?

Reply:

a) The sewer spillage is from a Municipal sewer line that is traversing the school site. The sewer broke and spilled sewage into the school grounds up to the school building’s corridor and verandas. As a form of emergency intervention to ensure uninterrupted teaching and learning for the school, the Department instructed the Implementing Agent, the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport (DPWRT) to appoint a service provider to attend to the sewer spillage waste. The service provider will address the spillage starting from 24 March 2018, completing on 16 April 2018. The cleaning process involves application of sanitising chemicals around the school yard to kill pathogens that may cause diseases to the learners and educators.

b) Steps taken include engaging the responsible municipality. The Department is also engaging the municipality through the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to re-direct the sewer pipe from the school site as a long term measure.

(i) Timeframes for the long-term solution are not yet in place as engagements are still taking place.

(ii) The alternative solution is the engagement with COGTA.

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