Everyone is always going on about 'the NEW South Africa', but let me tell you things are going a bit wrong here at the moment...
Firstly, there's the small matter of 'load shedding'... the power is switched off with us maybe 3 times a day. Normally it's from 6-8am, then 12-2pm followed by 6-8pm, just to totally disrupt all meal times! Sometimes, like this morning, it will go off from 8.30-12, just to mess up the computers. It's totally disruptive to working as there are no lights, computers, phones etc working. This is happening all over the country and people are starting to get annoyed. We're well into our second week of it now.
Last week a couple of trains had to stop due to 'load shedding' and the people travelling in it got out and set the trains on fire in protest. Clever. Not so clever when the train people are now refusing to replace said trains and so there are less services running...
The response to crises like this tends to edge towards violence, unfortunately.
There was also a threat of no water for 48 hours last weekend, which thankfully didn't seem to happen. But my house is full of plastic water bottles filled with tap water, just in case. In any case the water from my tap has been green and murky of late and so I've resorted to bottled water for my last few weeks here, just to be safe!
It's really feeling like Africa, just as I pack up to leave.
And then on Tuesday the black teachers at our local primary school, where 33 of our kids go, managed to barricade the white teachers in the staff room and held them hostage for a day whilst the kids ran amok on the playing fields.
Very grown up behaviour, I'm sure you'll agree.
Not.
The TV cameras were back yesterday and other valley schools had to close as teachers rushed to join in the demonstrations against the management of the school, leaving kids roaming all over. This school was already in the news last year for another riot of the teachers for similar problems. In any case our kids are currently being educated by volunteers until the crisis is sorted. It's a bit worrying when these things happen basically in your back garden and could spark backlash across the province... As a result we've closed 2 of our preschools and the volunteers have to stay at home for their own protection. It will probably blow over in a few days, but just to be safe we have to take precautions...
You can read the story below from the local newspaper 'the Witness':
Racism alleged at KZN school
23 Jan 2008
Sphumelele Mngoma
ALLEGATIONS of racism were made during a protest that disrupted teaching at the George Cato Primary in Cato Ridge yesterday.Teachers affiliated to the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) were joined by union leaders and other Sadtu members.“We want you to tell [MEC] Ina Cronje to take the principal and take her to a place reserved for the boers … there is no place here for them,” said Mbuyiseni Mathonsi of Sadtu.
Teacher Bheki Ntuli said the protest was sparked by the alleged beating last week of a black gardener by his white supervisor, apparently for working too slowly.According to Ntuli, when the gardener went to report the matter to the Camperdown police, he was turned away and told to sort the matter out with the school.He said the 24-year-old man was offered R3 000 to drop the matter, or face being fired if he insisted on pressing charges.These allegations could not be independently confirmed.
However, according to Ntuli, the issue of racism is not a new one for black staff at the school.“We are called baboons and our children are called monkeys. We are constantly being told that we are incompetent because of Bantu education and yet not once have they tried to address that problem by developing the staff … ”Nkosi said they complained about the situation last January and the Education Department conducted an inquiry, but they have not heard what the outcome is.Now they demand a full report of that investigation and want action taken.Basil Manuel, vice president of the National Association of Professional Teachers of SA (Naptosa), also blamed the department for the deteriorating situation at the school.“They failed the school, they failed the pupils … Their delay has compromised people’s safety and the children’s education.”However, Manuel condemned the strike, during which, he said, teachers threw stones.One of the parents, who wanted to remain anonymous for her child’s safety, said she is concerned about her child’s education.She said her child spent about eight months last year without a teacher. “I don’t know anything about the children being called monkeys and the beatings … all I know is my child needs to be taught. That is what I demand from the department of Education.”Education spokeswoman Christi Naude said Cronje will visit the school today to do her own investigations into the matter.Naude could not say why the results of last year’s investigation have not been released, but said action will be taken in two days, as the department is busy studying all the reports and recommendations.
