24 Mar 2025

The Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education is aware of the challenges faced by Dukwi Junior Secondary School (JSS) students at boarding hostels due to oversubscription and shortage of beds.

Responding to a question in parliament on Thursday on behalf of the Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, the Minister for Higher Education, Mr Prince Maele shared that Dukwi JSS, which has a boarding capacity of 480 had 548 learners with 68 learners without beds but having only mattresses.

He noted that all boarding students at Zwenshambe had bunk beds for use, even though they were in shortage of mattresses that were to be procured in the coming financial year when funds permit.

Mr Maele shared that there was  frequent disruption of electricity in the hostels, mainly due to vandalism and power cuts by excessive rains.

“The issue of dysfunctional lights at Tlhalogang and John Nswazi JSS will be addressed once funds become available as quotations have already been evaluated. At Zwenshambe JSS, the lights were repaired and now working well except for those at the boy’s and girl’s hostels, which need extra funds,” he said.

Mr Maele further indicated that he was aware of the challenges posed by cooking pots in the schools, adding that this disturbs feeding of learners.

“The teams are doing their best to fix them. However lack of funds remains a challenge to address all the issues pertaining to pots, which I must admit affects a lot of schools countrywide,” he said.

With regard to the situation at Zwenshambe JSS, he said pots at the kitchen were also all replaced, but currently one gas pot out of four is working.

“Also frying pans are down. Due to funds, we haven’t been able to attend to them, but they will be assisted in April 2025. We have received a request from the school for P25 000 to restore them,” he said. Mr Maele further shared that Tlhalogang had one block of six bay water borne toilets for use by students at the academic area, however, due to oversubscription, there was still continued use of pit latrines.

“During the heavy rains, these pit latrines were almost full but could not be desludged due to muddy ground as the sewage truck could not have accessibility. At Dukwi JSS there has been a challenge of funds and this will be addressed as soon as funds are available,” he said. Mr Maele said, when replacing pit latrines with water-borne systems at Zwenshambe JSS, a block of pit latrine was left out at the academic area for contingency in the event the school doesn’t have water.

“All others were converted to water systems. We are observing the sustainability of running water, that when constant, the remaining block will also be converted to a water-system,” he said.

Shashe West MP, Mr Jeremiah Frenzel had asked the minister if she is aware of the status of schools at Tlhalogang, Zwenshambe, John Nswazwi and Dukwi Junior Secondary Schools and when these rather gruesome problems will be addressed.

In particular, he pleaded with the minister to address unconducive and inhumane student accommodation status such as sleeping on the actual floor, dysfunctional lights in dormitories, constant and continuous malfunction of cooking pots, use of already full pit latrines as well as those that ought to be considered out of use and unavailability of lockers for students. ENDS