A local councillor was praised by Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis for playing a role in ensuring new schools are built in Lwandle.
In a letter to local councillors, Hill-Lewis praised a handful of them from various areas, including Ward 86 councillor Xolani Diniso, for not leaving any stone unturned to ensure an area such as Lwandle had new schools.
In 2021, the community of Lwandle was delighted the provincial education department had listened to their pleas for extra classrooms in a bid to reduce the high number of unplaced learners.
Then Diniso played an integral role in the plans to construct a new high school in the area.
“The news of the start of construction of Lwandle High Technical School is a symbol of hope that, come 2023, we will have a fully fledged technical school,” Diniso said.
The planned school, which will accommodate 1 400 learners, formed part of a public participation process that was opened as part of an environmental authorisation application (EAA) for a public precinct, including a regional hospital and multi-school complex in the greater Lwandle area (“School, hospital campus proposed,” DistrictMail, 20 May 2021).
“I’m writing to thank you very much for your helpful interventions to make sure new schools are built in Wallacedene and Lwandle,” Hill-Lewis wrote.
“The City of Cape Town has been working closely with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to help in its ‘rapid school build’ programme, to try to secure many brand-new and expanded schools for Cape Town – particularly in poorer communities.
“I am briefed by our colleagues from the WCED that your interventions have been very helpful and decisive in getting these schools delivered. Well done! And thank you.”
In return Diniso expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the mayor for taking time out of his busy schedule to reach out.
“I am profoundly indebted to the Ward 86 community for their unwavering support on matters of critical importance,” he said.
“This endeavour would never have been possible without the cooperation and confidence exhibited by all stakeholders involved in the establishment of this educational facility.
“I also would like thank everyone else for their unparalleled support in all negotiations relating to this community project, notwithstanding their profound belief in my role as their councillor.”
Diniso said it would not be fair not to mention and appreciate the role the WCED is playing in the establishment of the new schools.
“We will start with construction at the Lwandle High Technical School in June, but first we are focusing on completing a pre-primary school for Grade R learners in Lwandle. “We have not decided on a name yet for the pre-primary school,” Diniso concluded.
