Some learners at Hlakanang Primary School in Magobading, outside Burgersfort in Limpopo, are learning under trees and carports because of overcrowding and a lack of infrastructure.
The community is complaining that the school built by the mining company Anglo American Platinum is inadequate and that the promised new classrooms have not been built.
The community was moved to this area by Anglo American in 2004, to expand its mining shafts.
Learners continue to study, but the environment is not conducive for teaching and learning at Hlakanang Primary school in Magobading outside Burgersfort.
The school has seven classrooms for 716 learners, while the eighth classroom is used as a staffroom.
The classes are overcrowded and the school resorted to teaching some grades under trees and carports.
The community says mining giant, Anglo American Platinum, relocated them to this area, and built the eight classrooms.
It promised to add four classrooms and an admin block in 2018.
Construction of the admin block started in May this year, and is at an advanced stage.
SGB Chairperson, Catherine Chiloane says the company has backtracked on the promise to build the four additional classrooms.
“Our children are overcrowded in the classroom and this has a negative impact on their performances. We appreciate the admin block, but we are surprised that the mine remains quiet about building classrooms.”
The community and the school used their limited resources to build a giant shack to add to the classrooms but it leaks when it rains, and gets hot when temperature rises.
Although SABC News is in possession of a 2018 document that outlines the mine’s plan to build classrooms and an admin block at Hlakanang Primary School.
Anglo American Platinum says the building of classrooms does not form part of its current social and labour plan.
It says only the admin block was approved. The community says that Anglo Platinum must fulfill its obligation to build the classrooms as promised.
The Magobading Relocated Community Chairperson, Thabo Sekiti and one of the parents at the school, Rosina Bosman says, “Anglo Platinum promised to build two blocks for us. We had several engagements with them. This year, when I remember quite vividly on the 18th of February this year, we have agreed that they were going to build an admin and two blocks. They started with admin and as the time goes by, when admin was halfway done, they said to us, no, there are no more blocks that are going to be built by them. We are very hurt as parents to see our children learning under the trees. It’s bad when it’s raining and sunny. Anglo American Platinum is taking us for granted. It relocated us from various communities and brought us here. But now it’s failing to provide the basic services that we were promised.”
Parents are calling upon the Anglo American Platinum to bring mobile classrooms at this school as a temporary measure.
