Pigs, goats roam Holy Ghost classes'

JABULA – Parents have labelled St. Holy Ghost Primary as the dirtiest school in Swaziland and want something to be done about it.

Situated in one of the poorest areas under KaShoba umphakatsi, the community around St Holy Ghost Primary lives in abject poverty and school feeding schemes are their only way of acquiring breakfast.
During a visit to the school, livestock such as cattle, goats and pigs roamed freely around the school because there is no fencing.

There are goats along the corridor and their dung is scattered all over which is a sign that the beasts have made the school their home.
In one class, a chicken was found getting ready to lay an egg. Most of the classes do not have locks nor desks and chairs and thugs help themselves to materials during the day.
Some of the pupils, particularly the girls complained that toilets do not have doors and are positioned in such a way that there is no privacy.

 “How can children learn in such an environment? The state of the school is a high risk and they could be affected with all kinds of diseases. What kind of children is this school raising?” asked a parent who requested to remain anonymous for fear of his children being victimised.

Parents who have children at the school have been complaining that the school has been neglected and that nothing functions.
The school does not have adequate water supply and children have to travel far to collect some.
 “In some classes, the pupils do not have chairs and opt to use water buckets to sit on whilst others sit on the very same desks they use for writing on,” continued the parent.
He said this was too much work for the children as some of them usually fetched water from their own homes.

Just give me a week to sort this mess - principal 

JABULA - Musa Sihlongonyane, the school’s principal says he will sort out the mess within a week.
He said the school was in the process of erecting fencing.

“We already have the fence and it is in the storeroom at the moment.
“The only remaining thing is to put up poles and then the fencing will follow,” said Sihlongonyane.

He said the state of the school will change as soon as the fencing was erected and added that burglary at the teachers’ quarters no longer existed because there was now a night watchman.

Sihlongonyane assured that he needed at least a week to ensure that the fencing was up to reduce the number of livestock from loitering around the school.
He was however surprised  when told that the school was very dirty and was not aware that this reporter had already made a surprise visit to the school.

“You should come to the school on Tuesday and see for yourself. The school is fine,” said Sihlongonyane.

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