Youth now plans to start a business that will help whole village
AN EASTERN Cape pupil whose face was severely disfigured when he was burnt by acid at school has received R5.5-million in compensation from the provincial department of education.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, Siyabulela Hola said although the settlement would not erase everything he had been through, he and his family would now be able to live a comfortable life.
“I am happy. Finally there is hope for my future,” Siyabulela said.
The incident took place at Zanolwazi Combined School at Upper Gwalana location in Peddie in January last year and left the 20-year-old with severe scars on his face.
A fellow pupil, Sinethemba Monde, 15, was burnt on the leg.
The matter went unreported and was only brought to the Dispatch’s attention by the director of Khula children’s rights organisation, Petros Majola, who urged the department of education to investigate.
Majola said the settlement was agreed out of court and the amount paid on Monday. The family would be given advice on how to manage the money.
He said the case for compensation for the second pupil was still being finalised.
The story received national print and television coverage after the Dispatch highlighted Siyabulela’s plight in May last year.
He and a fellow pupil were among a group of pupils who had been told by a teacher to clean out the school’s strongroom.
One of the pupils passed an unmarked bottle to another, but it slipped, pouring the acid over Siyabulela’s face.
When the Dispatch met him a few months after the incident his face was so badly scarred he could not close his eyes or blink due to skin tissue damage so bad it left him without eyelids.
He is currently receiving ongoing surgery to reconstruct his face and he is now able to blink.
The surgery includes skin grafts and skin needling – a process to loosen the skin tissue – which is done by a group of plastic surgeons at the Renaissance Surgical Clinic in Cape Town.
The surgeons offered to reconstruct his face at no cost after hearing his story.
Siyabulela yesterday said he had invested some of the money and planned to build a house for his family, buy a car and start a brickmaking business.
He currently shares a rondavel with his parents and three younger siblings.
“We have sat down with my family and decided to start a business that is much needed in our village and we opted for a brickmaking and delivering service,” he said.
The Grade 9 pupil said he plans to do a course in brickmaking so that he could run the business after finishing school.
Siyabulela’s mother, Vuyokazi Hola, said he now had a future.
“I have always been concerned over what the future holds for him because after the incident he went into a state of hopelessness. But now at least he will have the means to realise his dreams,” she said.
Siyabulela still needs to undergo 14 skin needling sessions in Cape Town and the next one is scheduled for July.
“I can already see an improvement in my face and I have hope that the scars will completely heal,” he said.
The department of education had not responded to questions at the time of publication. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
R5.5m for acid burn victim
AN EASTERN Cape pupil whose face was severely disfigured when he was burnt by acid at school has received R5.5-million in compensation from the provincial department of education.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, Siyabulela Hola said although the settlement would not erase everything he had been through, he and his family would now be able to live a comfortable life.
“I am happy. Finally there is hope for my future,” Siyabulela said.
The incident took place at Zanolwazi Combined School at Upper Gwalana location in Peddie in January last year and left the 20-year-old with severe scars on his face.
A fellow pupil, Sinethemba Monde, 15, was burnt on the leg.
The matter went unreported and was only brought to the Dispatch’s attention by the director of Khula children’s rights organisation, Petros Majola, who urged the department of education to investigate.
Majola said the settlement was agreed out of court and the amount paid on Monday. The family would be given advice on how to manage the money.
He said the case for compensation for the second pupil was still being finalised.
The story received national print and television coverage after the Dispatch highlighted Siyabulela’s plight in May last year.
He and a fellow pupil were among a group of pupils who had been told by a teacher to clean out the school’s strongroom.
One of the pupils passed an unmarked bottle to another, but it slipped, pouring the acid over Siyabulela’s face.
When the Dispatch met him a few months after the incident his face was so badly scarred he could not close his eyes or blink due to skin tissue damage so bad it left him without eyelids.
He is currently receiving ongoing surgery to reconstruct his face and he is now able to blink.
The surgery includes skin grafts and skin needling – a process to loosen the skin tissue – which is done by a group of plastic surgeons at the Renaissance Surgical Clinic in Cape Town.
The surgeons offered to reconstruct his face at no cost after hearing his story.
Siyabulela yesterday said he had invested some of the money and planned to build a house for his family, buy a car and start a brickmaking business.
He currently shares a rondavel with his parents and three younger siblings.
“We have sat down with my family and decided to start a business that is much needed in our village and we opted for a brickmaking and delivering service,” he said.
The Grade 9 pupil said he plans to do a course in brickmaking so that he could run the business after finishing school.
Siyabulela’s mother, Vuyokazi Hola, said he now had a future.
“I have always been concerned over what the future holds for him because after the incident he went into a state of hopelessness. But now at least he will have the means to realise his dreams,” she said.
Siyabulela still needs to undergo 14 skin needling sessions in Cape Town and the next one is scheduled for July.
“I can already see an improvement in my face and I have hope that the scars will completely heal,” he said.
The department of education had not responded to questions at the time of publication. — arethal@dispatch.co.za
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