KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu has rejected calls by teachers’ unions to close some of the marking centres in the province due to COVID-19 cases that have been detected.
Mshengu has revealed that a second marker passed away on Monday.
The teacher was working at the Inanda Seminary marking centre in Durban.
The first COVID-19 death was from the Estcourt marking centre.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Mr Sihle Zikalala @sziks and KZN MEC for @DBE_KZN Mr @MshenguKwazi monitor the marking of matric examination scripts in the uMlazi district. #GrowingKZNTogether pic.twitter.com/qwuiIDyybY
— KZN Provincial Gov (@kzngov) January 12, 2021
Mshengu says both teachers had tested positive for but did not declare their status when they reported for work on the 6th of January.
Mshengu visited the marking centre at Umlazi Comtech High School together with KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala.
Mshengu says he believes current measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at marking centres are adequate.
“We disagree totally with those calls because we believe that all our centres in the province have actually been prepared such that they are a safe environment for markers to be there and to do their work in a very conducive environment. So, the call to close our centres actually does not accord with the realities of our centres.”
Mshengu and Zikalala visit a marking centre in Umlazi:
