THREATS FROM ‘COMRADES’ – EDUCATION PS

SITEKI – Bheki Gama, the Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Education and Training, claims to be receiving threats from ‘comrades’ for allowing the reopening of schools.

Gama made the claims when delivering his speech as a guest speaker last Friday at the Imbuyiselo Academy Honourary Awards, held at the Siteki Town Council Hall. The PS made the claims when commending parents for allowing children to attend classes without fail.

Vaccinate

He further encouraged teachers and learners to vaccinate to ensure that lessons were not disturbed due to the reoccurrence of COVID-19 infections during the progress of lessons. “I have been threatened that I should not come around Msunduza because I allowed the reopening of schools. I received a call from someone I know who alerted me about what some ‘comrades’ were planning against me. I have survived and thrived through difficult situations as I grew up ‘Ekasi’ at Msunduza so I am familiar with that life,” he said.

Gama, when asked about the threats after his address, confirmed that he received threats but he was not deterred. “I was called and told not to set foot at Msunduza. A friend of mine told me that they were discussing this about me,” the PS added. When further asked what kind of threats he received, Gama said the threats were reported to him by someone who warned and alerted him that he must not set foot at Msunduza as he might be injured due to the fact that he overheard some ‘comrades’ speaking badly about him for supporting the reopening of schools.

The PS said he did not report the threats to the police because the perpetrators did not directly call him to issue them but he was alerted by someone he knew. Gama said Msunduza was his home and it was baffling that the people who made those threats were not aware that he grew up there. “Msunduza is my home, I grew up there. Reopening of schools was not my decision, but a collective one with all stakeholders involved,” he explained.

Uncertainty

When further quizzed about his safety and if there were any elements of uncertainty while travelling along the country’s roads and to his place of abode, Gama said nothing had happened yet. “I received the call alerting me about the threats during the first week when we reopened the three classes (Grade VII, Form Iii and Form V) that I shouldn’t pass certain areas,” said Gama. Coming to his address during the awards function, Gama said the ministry had noted with a heavy heart the increase in the number of young boys not interested in continuing with their academic pursuits, but preferred to work in dagga fields or got odd  jobs to get fast cash. He said some schools were in shortage of furniture after being burnt down during the unrest, but government was attending to this to ensure that lessons were not disturbed.

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