Over 1000 rural schoolchildren have been forced to sit at home since Monday after angry villagers closed down several schools demanding the immediate removal of an ANC ward councillor candidate.
Teaching came to an abrupt halt on Monday in about four of the five schools -- Zanokanyo Junior Secondary School, Pondomiseni Junior Secondary, Gcinizizwe Senior Primary and Dokodela Junior Secondary, all situated in Ward 15 under Nyandeni local municipality -- when a group of stick-wielding protesters forced children out of classrooms.
This morning, a fifth school, Mtyu Junior Secondary School, also in the same municipal ward, was also closed down by the same group of protesting villagers.
They told the Daily Dispatch that they wanted an ANC candidate Thembalethu Macingwane to be replaced by their preferred candidate, Albert Sebenzile Sixabela.This was despite the latter losing to Macingwane during the recent local government polls.
Sixabela, a former ANC branch secretary in the ward, had reportedly resigned prior to the announcement of the election candidate lists by the IEC. However he had registered as an independent candidate after he was asked to stand by the community in the ward according to one of the protest leaders Samkelo Mpalweni.
He claimed Macingwane, who himself had previously served as a ward committee member, had been imposed on them by the ANC's regional chairman in O R Tambo, Xolile Nkompela during the branch general meetings where candidates were nominated.
However this was allegedly done without following the proper procedures.
“We have tried to reason with him without any success.
We have been employing a soft approach by following all relevant processes to register our complaint but he has disregarded this and instead pushed for Macingwane to be a candidate.”
Mpalweni also claimed that during the elections, voters who stayed in other municipal wards had been allowed to vote in at least two voting stations in Ward 15, something which they regarded as corruption and disregard of electoral regulations.
Furthermore he accused the ANC of having set up their own tables in a classroom situated next to the classroom that was used as a voting station in Mtyu JSS, claiming all the voters were ordered to first go to the ANC people before casting their votes.
“The IEC rules are very clear on this one.You are not allowed to campaign for your party inside a voting station on that day,” added Mpalweni.
He said they wanted Eastern Cape Premier Phumulo Masualle in his capacity as the ANC's provincial chairman and President Jacob Zuma to intervene.
“The region has failed us and now we are moving on to more senior levels.”
However he claimed the decision to close down the schools was to avert a situation like that of Vuwani where nearly 30 schools were torched earlier this year.
He claimed by closing them down, they were in fact protecting them, the teachers and pupils from the wrath of the community should the ANC leadership fail to remove Macingwane as per their wishes.
“You never know how people might react the more angrier they get. So to be safe, we said we will look after them.”
Nkompela could not be reached for comment while Macingwane dismissed Mpalweni's claims saying he had won the nomination process fair and square against Sixabela in January this year who had then resigned in the aftermath.
He accused the latter of now spearheading a campaign to tarnish his name because he had lost out at the polls.
Education provincial spokesman Loyiso Pulumani could not be reached for comment. --sikhon@dispatch.co.za
Protesting villagers shut schools in Nyandeni municipality
Teaching came to an abrupt halt on Monday in about four of the five schools -- Zanokanyo Junior Secondary School, Pondomiseni Junior Secondary, Gcinizizwe Senior Primary and Dokodela Junior Secondary, all situated in Ward 15 under Nyandeni local municipality -- when a group of stick-wielding protesters forced children out of classrooms.
This morning, a fifth school, Mtyu Junior Secondary School, also in the same municipal ward, was also closed down by the same group of protesting villagers.
They told the Daily Dispatch that they wanted an ANC candidate Thembalethu Macingwane to be replaced by their preferred candidate, Albert Sebenzile Sixabela.This was despite the latter losing to Macingwane during the recent local government polls.
Sixabela, a former ANC branch secretary in the ward, had reportedly resigned prior to the announcement of the election candidate lists by the IEC. However he had registered as an independent candidate after he was asked to stand by the community in the ward according to one of the protest leaders Samkelo Mpalweni.
He claimed Macingwane, who himself had previously served as a ward committee member, had been imposed on them by the ANC's regional chairman in O R Tambo, Xolile Nkompela during the branch general meetings where candidates were nominated.
However this was allegedly done without following the proper procedures.
“We have tried to reason with him without any success.
We have been employing a soft approach by following all relevant processes to register our complaint but he has disregarded this and instead pushed for Macingwane to be a candidate.”
Mpalweni also claimed that during the elections, voters who stayed in other municipal wards had been allowed to vote in at least two voting stations in Ward 15, something which they regarded as corruption and disregard of electoral regulations.
Furthermore he accused the ANC of having set up their own tables in a classroom situated next to the classroom that was used as a voting station in Mtyu JSS, claiming all the voters were ordered to first go to the ANC people before casting their votes.
“The IEC rules are very clear on this one.You are not allowed to campaign for your party inside a voting station on that day,” added Mpalweni.
He said they wanted Eastern Cape Premier Phumulo Masualle in his capacity as the ANC's provincial chairman and President Jacob Zuma to intervene.
“The region has failed us and now we are moving on to more senior levels.”
However he claimed the decision to close down the schools was to avert a situation like that of Vuwani where nearly 30 schools were torched earlier this year.
He claimed by closing them down, they were in fact protecting them, the teachers and pupils from the wrath of the community should the ANC leadership fail to remove Macingwane as per their wishes.
“You never know how people might react the more angrier they get. So to be safe, we said we will look after them.”
Nkompela could not be reached for comment while Macingwane dismissed Mpalweni's claims saying he had won the nomination process fair and square against Sixabela in January this year who had then resigned in the aftermath.
He accused the latter of now spearheading a campaign to tarnish his name because he had lost out at the polls.
Education provincial spokesman Loyiso Pulumani could not be reached for comment. --sikhon@dispatch.co.za
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