A protest by villagers over a leaking sewer saw more than 400 teachers prevented from teaching thousands of pupils in Mqanduli and Xhora on Monday.
The sewer is leaking into the river that communities use to draw drinking water.
The Dispatch was told the river is a tributary of the Mthatha river.
One school principal, Lungiswa Noah, said protesters chased staff out of school before classes began. Others could not even get to school.
“All of Mqanduli was under lockdown. There was no one coming in or out because the protesters were burning things at the entrance of Mqanduli.
“A large group of people came to the school singing and threatening us, telling us to leave or else. Whatever issues they have do not have anything to do with the school, it is village issues. They went door to door making sure that everyone was out.
“We feared for the safety of the pupils and the teachers so we left,” Noah said.
King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality’s ward 29 councillor, Siyabonga Mlotywa, said the Lower Ngqwara residents were fed up with OR Tambo municipality.
He said there was a sewer pipe depositing waste into the local river where people draw their drinking water.
“This matter had been reported to the municipality on many occasions and there has been no response. The community members are tired. People are fed up with not being taken seriously. This was an act of desperation,” Mlotywa said.
“People did not go out of their way to close schools but they simply blockaded the entrance of Mqanduli and made sure that the shops were also closed. They just wanted Mqanduli to come to a standstill.”
To get to Xhora, one needs to drive through Mqanduli or go via Qunu.
Sadtu Mqanduli branch secretary Wandile Ngceba said even the alternative routes to Xhora were closed by the protesters.
“Our members could not get to the schools even though they were ready for teaching and learning programmes for the day,” he said.
“The protesters are compromising their own children’s futures. The reality is that during election seasons there will be many things that communities are not happy about but residents cannot let their children’s education be affected like this,” he said, urging authorities to act swiftly in resolving the communities’ grievances.
OR Tambo municipal spokesperson Ayongezwa Lungisa said they were aware of the protest. He said a team led by acting mayor Robert Nogumla visited Mqanduli.
“We are in conversation with community leaders trying to find a resolution. The municipality has a project that we are working on but we are being inhibited by a family who own the land that the sewer line goes through. We are still engaging with them to look at all the possible options,” he said.
Lungisa said it was unfortunate that schools were affected by the protest action.
“People should rather talk to the municipality instead of aggravating matters like this. OR Tambo is a municipality open to engaging with communities,” Lungisa concluded.
Sadtu’s regional secretary, Siyabonga Gashi, said he could not quantify the number of schools that were affected by the closure in Mqanduli and Xhora.
“What we can say is that between 400 and 500 of our members had to return home because of the protesting residents.
“While we are sensitive to the plight of the communities around us, they should not interrupt us in our mission of improving matric results in the province. The work starts now,” Gashi said.
Provincial education spokesperson Mali Mtima said they were badly affected by the protest.
“The district director has met with the mayoral committee because this has nothing to do with us – it is a service delivery protest,” Mtima said...