Khayelitsha learners miss a week of school as sewage saga continues

Learners at Kuyasa Primary School in Khayelitsha have missed a week of school due to recurring sewage leaks and parent protests. Western Cape education department officials met parents on Thursday and asked them to allow students to return to school on Friday, once the toilets were clean. However, parents insisted on a health official's inspection of the school.

WCED deputy director-general Alan Meyer assured parents that a contractor had unblocked the sewage pipes and would replace the ground at the spill area, while another contractor would use cameras for pipe inspections. Ward 99 councillor Lonwabo Mqina welcomed the progress but demanded a health certificate before allowing students back.

Meyer said a health official would inspect the school, and permanently fixing the drainage system could take two months. Sisanda Nyawula, deputy secretary for the Cape Peninsula, criticized Meyer for not addressing the sewage spill promptly, stating that the department should have acted immediately if the problem occurred in Camps Bay.

Parents protested at the department's offices on Wednesday, and Meyer attended to the issue swiftly, claiming that these schools are among the best-performing in the Western Cape. WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond accused some involved parties of being more interested in political point-scoring than practical solutions. School governing body deputy chairperson Thandiswa Bolani said the contractor was turned away due to dissatisfaction with the work quality.