Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Wolfgang Walhorn MPL
The DA in North West has written to the MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi, to urgently address the dire state of Bethel High School near Coligny, and to request an immediate investigation with clearly defined timelines for remedial action.
This follows an oversight visit on 25 July this year, where the DA uncovered numerous infrastructure and safety concerns. The school’s hostels, once accommodating 660 female learners, now have very little furniture left, forcing some children to sleep on mattresses on the floor. The ablutions have no doors or water, and the basins are without taps. (See pictures here, here, and here.)
In the kitchen, electrical appliances are faulty, and the only way to obtain hot water is by boiling it outside. (See pictures here and here.)
Exposed electricity cables and a bypassed, broken transformer create erratic power, as the single working transformer overheats, disrupting the supply. (See pictures here, here, and here.)
The sewer system is overburdened, resulting in raw sewage flowing into the wetland behind the school. (See picture here.)
Fire‐safety equipment is inadequate, ceilings in some classrooms are missing, and the exam centre for matriculants has no electricity, ceilings, or ventilation. (See picture here.)
The DA has requested the MEC to urgently investigate and provide a clear plan, with timelines, to address the school’s electrical systems, hostels, ablutions, fire safety, sewage, and general infrastructure.
We remain committed to ensuring that every child in our province learns in a safe, dignified environment. Our learners are the future, and we must provide them with every possible opportunity to reach their full potential.