school disruptions in Ennerdale following protests after the school’s water supply was cut a month ago. Image: SABC.
(The Post News)– Learning at Poseidon Primary School in Ennerdale, south of Johannesburg, has ground to a halt after parents staged a protest over prolonged water outages. Disgruntled parents blocked the school gates on Monday morning, demanding urgent government intervention. They say the school has been without water for almost a month, creating unsafe and unhygienic conditions for learners.
Ennerdale councillor Lois Simonse confirmed the water crisis, stating that Johannesburg Water disconnected the supply due to outstanding debt. “The school has been without water for over a month now. Johannesburg Water claims they did not receive payment, which led to the disconnection,” Simonse explained.
Ennerdale Parents Claim the School Inherited the Debt
According to allegations by some Ennerdale parents, the School Governing Body (SGB) and the principal inherited the debt from previous administrations. The principal admitted that the school has been making monthly payments but said the recurring arrears have ballooned to nearly R900,000.
“We inherited this debt and have been paying what we can each month. But the amount is far too large for us to cover. This is a municipal account, and Johannesburg Water must take responsibility,” said the SGB Deputy Chair, Gloria Nkosi. Nkosi added that, “It’s almost a month at the school without water, and we, and the principal, tried to resolve the matter. Firstly, we inherited the debt from the department.
“Then we tried to say no, can you please fix this so that we can take it from here, and then it never happened, and day by day when they charge, they also put the interest on that debt. So we are now sitting at almost a million rand with the debt of water.” Frustrated parents insist that their children cannot return to class until the matter is resolved.
According to the parents, they are unable to let their kids sit in classrooms without water. In addition to being harmful to their health, it also infringes against their fundamental right to receive an education in a safe environment. Parents added they want the municipality to intervene immediately, saying that the future of their children is at stake.
About the Author
