Monday afternoon, 26 January, marked another tense day at Addington Primary School as members of the March and March movement staged a protest over the enrolment of South African learners at the school.
The protest began peacefully, with members gathering outside the school gates. Protesters accused the Department of Education of downplaying the challenges surrounding learner placements, particularly the lack of affordable transport and school fees for flood-affected families living in South Beach who have been placed at schools across eThekwini and surrounding areas.
Police were on site to monitor the situation. Tensions escalated later in the afternoon when the school bell rang and parents arrived to collect their children. The protest became rowdy as some protesters chanted for foreign nationals to leave the area. Despite the heightened tensions, no injuries or physical attacks were reported.
Last week, the Department of Education announced that all learners had been successfully placed at various schools, including Addington Primary, and that transport arrangements would be finalised during the course of the week.
On Monday, March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese confirmed that learners had been admitted to schools but said transport remained a major obstacle. She stated that several flood-affected children from South Beach were still not attending school as their parents could not afford transport costs.
“To date, 15 children are spending their school days at the shelter or on the beach while their parents wait for a resolution,” Ngobese said.
A parent who met with March and March leaders on Monday shared her family’s struggles. She said her family has been living in a South Beach shelter for nearly two years after both she and her husband lost their jobs due to illness. She visited Addington Primary in search of placement for her six-year-old son, who should be starting Grade 1.
“I approached schools in the Bluff and Umbilo areas. A school in Umbilo agreed to accept my two children in Grade 4 and Grade 1 through a school grant. However, the transport costs would be R2,500 a month. While public transport is available, no parent would allow young children to travel alone. Taking and fetching them daily would also be costly,” she said.
The parent added that she hoped to secure placement at Addington Primary to reduce transport expenses. Upon arrival at the school, she was advised by a security guard to obtain an official letter authorising her child’s admission.
She said she would continue approaching the school in the hope that her son would be accommodated.
The Department of Education was contacted for comment regarding transport arrangements. At the time of posting, no response had been received.
