29 August 2018
Media alert: Equal Education Gauteng #StopTheAppeal picket at Gauteng Education Department
Tomorrow, Thursday 30 August, Equal Education members (learners, parents, post-school youth, and staff) will be picketing outside the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to demand that Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi #StopTheAppeal and prioritise the eradication and replacement of all classrooms built substantially from asbestos.
The GDE has prioritised the replacement of 29 schools made entirely out of asbestos, but this is wholly insufficient. There are hundreds more schools in Gauteng with classrooms built substantially of asbestos, exposing learners, teachers and support staff to the harmful substance every day.
In addition, the GDE plans to fix the 29 schools identified as made entirely of asbestos by the year 2020. This is a violation of the Norms and Standards law.
MEC Lesufi must withdraw his support for the appeal of the Bhisho High Court school infrastructure judgment. On 19 July 2018 the High Court ruled that all “classrooms built entirely or substantially” of inappropriate materials should have been replaced by 29 November 2016.
MEC Lesufi #StopTheAppeal!
Place: Gauteng Education Departments, 17 Simmonds Street, Johannesburg CBD
Time: 2pm
For further media comment:
Kholwani Simelane (Equal Education Gauteng Deputy Head) kholwani@equaleducation.org.za
