SCHOOL CLOSED AS LAND DISPUTE RAGES ON

MHLOSHENI – Over 200 pupils from Galile Primary might have to remain at home for a while as the confusion over the closure of the road leading to the school deepens.

The school was indefinitely closed yesterday after the Shiselweni Regional Education Office stepped in at the request of the school administration.
The school administration had requested to close the school until a protracted dispute pitting the school and a local resident was settled.
The latest development was confirmed by the Deputy Regional Education Officer, Siboniso Gumbi.

Inaccessible

“We learnt that the school had been rendered inaccessible after a man damaged the road again. But the Regional Secretary has promised to address the issue soon,” explained Gumbi, insisting that the matter was beyond their jurisdiction as it involved issues of land which were best dealt with by traditional structures.

Distraught parents heaved a collective sigh of relief last Friday when a trench which was presumably dug by a local resident, was filled up by hired plant. The trench had been dug across the road leading to the school, and in that way, blocking access to the elementary institution.

However, it turned out that this was just a temporary relief as the man accused of causing trouble in the area was back to his old ways again on Sunday, as he further barricaded the road.

What happened next was that teachers and pupils became stranded after they could not gain access to the school yesterday morning. Following the sudden twist of events, parents and the school administration thought the pupils would be in danger if they continued going to school, and permission was sought from the Shiselweni REO to close the school until the necessary intervention was sought.

The central issue is a piece of land  which both the school and the resident in question claim ownership of.
 At least 264 pupils did not attend any lessons after they were turned away yesterday due to the school closure.
Angry parents vowed to continue fighting for the school property and, as a result undertook a decision to pull out their children until something was done to solve the raging dispute.

The school was forced to take the drastic decision to turn back the pupils after administration realised that the dispute was getting worse, and could even endanger the lives of the children should they continue learning under the prevailing circumstances.
Thereafter, a group of concerned parents, who were worried about their children getting stuck indefinitely in a potentially volatile situation, took an impromptu decision to pay a visit to the Shiselweni Regional Administration office.

Power

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