COVID-19 THREAT AT MAKESHIFT SCHOOL

MANZINI – Concerned parents at KaKhoza are torn between their children receiving educational refresher courses, or contracting and spreading COVID-19.

This, after it was discovered that a childcare provider operating a make-shift school was openly defying the regulations, putting the children and their families’ lives at great risk.

It is worth mentioning that daycare centres, preschools, primary and secondary schools were closed in March, a few days after the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and after parents expressed concern about their children being exposed. Although Grade VII, Form III and Form Vs returned to class in preparation for external examinations, the other grades are only set to return next year.

Carriers 

On the other hand, children are said to be the major carriers of COVID-19, and are at risk of infecting a whole family.

A group of concerned parents are said to have approached the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) after the childcare provider was allegedly found to have been operating the ‘school’ for children aged between seven – 10 years in stick and mud structure at KaKhoza area. 

She was said to have been operating the ‘school’ since October, from Monday to Friday. 

On a daily basis, more than 30 children are alleged to have been crowding the childcare provider’s home and most of them are not provided with face masks and hand sanitisers to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. While lessons begin at 9am, the children are reportedly engaged in educational material for about two hours, after which they are left to play, without masks and sanitisers to cleanse their hands occasionally. 

With the over 30 children crowding the structure, there is no room left for social distancing.

One concerned parent said even after she called the police to visit the childcare provider’s home, the police arrived and had a conversation with her, and left. “We are frustrated because it is clear that this woman is defying several COVID-19 regulations, but even after the police visited her home yesterday (Wednesday), she is still operating it. We are concerned that the children are not being well taken care of, as they are said to be the major carriers of COVID-19,” she said.

During a visit to the childcare provider’s home, before this reporter alighted from the vehicle, there were about 10 children without face masks sitting outside her home.  As soon as this reporter alighted from the vehicle, a man believed to be a relative of the childcare provider was seen instructing the children to put on their face masks. 

Although the children were seen sitting on child-sized chairs and tables, there was no social distancing as some of them had worn their face masks incorrectly, while others were seen lying on the tables.

Approached 

In an interview with the childcare provider, who identified herself as Bathabile Tsabedze, she said she was approached by a group of parents a few months ago, requesting her to teach their children after schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Having lost her job as a result of the pandemic and with the desire to teach again, Tsabedze said she jumped at the opportunity.

She told this publication that some of the children were in Grades III, IV and V, and she engaged them for only two hours every day.

Tsabedze expressed that she suffered from hypertension, so she decided to design the schedule such that the children were at her home for lessons for two hours only, in fear that she may also be exposed to COVID-19. 

“The aim of this idea was to refresh the children’s memories, as they haven’t been in the school system for almost a year. When some of the children arrived here, they had even forgotten how to write their names,” she said.

She said the only amount she asked from the parents was E50, and their child would be enrolled at the centre.

While showing this reporter a sanitiser contained in a mayonnaise bottle, Tsabedze said with the assistance of one of the mothers, who was a nurse and purchased the sanitiser, the children were sanitised when they arrived and several times in between lessons.

After allegedly receiving offers from more parents to have their children attend her centre, Tsabedze said she had to turn them down because she claimed she was aware of the COVID-19 regulations. 

She said the allegations that she had hordes of children at her home on a daily basis were untrue.

When questioned about police officers’ visit to her home, Tsabedze said when they arrived; she pleaded with them to allow her to continue operating, just until the end of the month. 

This, she said, was because her daycare centre would close for the festive season.

“Even if the centre was closed today, I already planned for it to close at the end of the month,” she said.

Meanwhile, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati said she had not received such a report as yet. 

She stated that the police would visit the centre for an inspection.

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