School learners were sent home at 11:00 all last week, owing to the deteriorating water situation in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, the Eastern Cape Department of Education confirmed on Friday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t keep learners and students in schools where there is no water,\u201d said Malibongwe Mntima, the department\u2019s spokesperson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have a separate water service provider \u2026 We pay services to the municipality, and we depend on them for water, even for electricity and garbage collection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said schools did have rain tanks, but these were also not being refilled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learners from primary schools, such as RH Godlo, James Ntungwana, Vuba, Alex Jayiya and Mthonjeni, and from high schools, such as Thanduxolo and Phaphani High in Kariega, could be seen out on the streets before noon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luvo Mqingwana, school governing body chairperson at Mthonjeni Primary, said, \u201cWe release learners at 11:00 every day. We are going to communicate with the Department of Education about food that cannot be cooked for learners \u2026 owing to the crisis. They must decide what we should do about food because it will rot or be misused.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said learners could not be kept at school more than three hours without working toilets or water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will have a general meeting with parents next Tuesday, because they are surprised to see their children going home early,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki blamed a six-year drought for the shortages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe encourage schools through their infrastructure planning to include water-wise and water-harvesting strategies to cushion themselves against the water crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are also calling on all residents, especially at schools, to report water leaks happening to the school management and to use the little available water sparingly. Schools are identified as one of the culprits in terms of high water usage and waste through leaks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
School learners were sent home at 11:00 all last week, owing to the deteriorating water situation in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, the Eastern Cape Department of Education confirmed on 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