Eastern Cape High School students block and study in middle of road
Students of the Mdeni Senior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape blocked traffic on Wednesday (15 February 2017) when they sat down to study in the middle of the R53. This was in demonstration of a silent protest in order to gain access to new classrooms that had been built at the school after a wall in one of the classrooms collapsed in the rain on Tuesday.
Parents, teachers and pupils formed a line of chairs on the R53 where they sat and continued with their lessons for five hours.
According to News24 the keys were later handed over to the school, after they’d been waiting since last year for the Eastern Cape education department to provide classrooms.
“Grade 12 pupil Sikelelwa Zidayi said temporary classrooms had been provided, but they could not use them because the construction company refused to hand over the keys.
Also see: Group of motorists dance in the rain while stuck in traffic
Eastern Cape Education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said the classrooms had not been used because the contractor had not been paid,” said News24
A spokesperson for the town’s local police said that the protest was a peaceful one and that no arrests had been made.