Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Africa Day: A celebration of our colourful continent
  • Swallows and Rhodes at top of the log battle
  • Makana Municipality admits that E.coli has infected the water supply
  • Anti-rape activist sues Rhodes University for R10 million
  • Bonus point win for Stars while Brumbies suffers heavy defeat
  • Sewage up to the front door in Extension Eight!
  • Bipolar Awareness Day on 26 May
  • First win for Klipfontein over Tigers
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»Uncategorized»Mud schools case not over yet – lawyer
Uncategorized

Mud schools case not over yet – lawyer

Grocott's MailBy Grocott's MailFebruary 24, 2011No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

The Grahamstown lawyer behind the recent "mud school" case, in which the national Department of Education agreed to make R8.2 billion available to replace inadequate school structures throughout South Africa, says the offer was much more than they expected.

The Grahamstown lawyer behind the recent "mud school" case, in which the national Department of Education agreed to make R8.2 billion available to replace inadequate school structures throughout South Africa, says the offer was much more than they expected.

Cameron McConnachie, of the Legal Resource Centre (LRC) was explaining how it had come about that a case to help seven Eastern Cape schools had resulted in an astounding settlement that would benefit the entire nation.

The case began in 2009 when seven schools (Nomandla Senior Primary School, Tembeni Senior Primary School, Madwaleni Senior Primary School, Sidanda Senior Primary School, Nkonkoni Senior Primary School, Maphindela Senior Primary School and Sompa Senior Primary School) approached the LRC in Grahamstown, asking for classrooms, water tanks and sufficient desks and chairs.

“The conditions of the mud schools were shocking”, said Sarah Churchill-Joly, a Canadian intern at the LRC.

Rufus Poswa, a researcher at the LRC, elaborated: “At Tembeni, the Grade Rs had classes in toilets and some of the rondawels had no roofs.”

The matter was settled out of court.

McConnachie said, "It did not make sense for us to go to court because the offer was much more than we had expected."

Granville Whittle, the National Director of Education, agreed that the decision to accept an out-of-court settlement had been mutually beneficial.

Whittle said R6.36 billion had been allocated to the Eastern Cape, but would be controlled by the National Department.

As per the agreement, the money would be available from 1 April 2011.

"We have no illusions that this money will fix all the education problems in the country," said McConnachie. "But all children should be given the opportunity to be educated".

McConnachie is adamant that the case victory was a team effort and his colleagues in the LRC Grahamstown office – Director Sarah Sephton, Poswa, Mzukisi Loliwe and numerous interns – were all instrumental in its success.

Should the government delay the delivery of these funds, McConnachie says he will continue to drive the case to ensure that, at the very least, the seven schools he represents are provided with adequate resources.

To ensure compliance, the government is obliged to issue a report to the attorneys every four months, until the inadequate structures are replaced and services are provided.

Should the government fail to meet the terms of the agreement, the matter will be taken to the High Court. McConnachie hopes that other schools in the Grahamstown area facing serious problems will approach the LRC for legal assistance.

Previous ArticleCultural activist apologises to municipality
Next Article New album for VG Choir
Grocott's Mail

Comments are closed.

Tweets by Grocotts
Newsletter



Listen

The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

Humans of Makhanda

Humans of Makhanda

Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

© 2023 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.