CITY MATTERS
6 • Week ending 18 June 2010 • ROSEBANK KILLARNEY GAZETTE
You can run but cannot Uproar over hide, warns Mosunkutu school closures NIE CELE Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Khabisi Mosunkutu has issued a stern warning that any form of violence in the province will not be tolerated. “Perpetrators can run and hide but sooner or later we will get you,” said Mosukuntu, adding lightheartedly, “Even if the culprits pass on, we will soon arrest them in the next life.’’ Speaking at city council headquarters in Braamfontein during a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Rea Vaya media briefing, Mosunkutu was responding to a question from this newspaper about the progress made by police in arresting people who ambushed the BRT in Soweto last month. During the attack a commuter was killed and eight others were seriously wounded in two separate shootings. Mosunkutu said police were working hard to track down the perpetrators. He said people who committed such acts were very clever and took precautions to make it difficult for police to trace them. But he revealed that at least one suspect had been apprehended and police were following leads to arrest more. - citybeat@caxton.co.za
AIMEE CAULFIELD While the Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy has promised to get the education basics right, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Legislature is horrified at the amount of school closures. The debate was sparked by the revelation that at least 109 schools had closed down in the province since 1994, 27 of them in Soweto. Gauteng DA Education spokesman Khume Ramulifho said that closing down schools undermined those who fought to liberate the majority of people from hunger, poverty and sub-standard education. “The DA is extremely concerned about children from disadvantaged areas who are excluded from opportunities to acquire skills and a good education. They simply add to the already tragic statistics of those deprived of these opportunities.” Ramulifho said the DA’s view was that schools were places where formal education should take place, and that the MEC had to ensure that schools were structured for maximum performance, and implemented
turnaround strategies for dysfunctional schools. But Department of Education spokesman Charles Phahlane said there were a variety of valid reasons why the department closed down the schools. “In some township schools there is an artificial concentration of pupils. “The advent of democracy made it possible for child-bearing people to move and settle where they wish, closer to work. This has resulted in a number of schools with fewer scholars. “The department was forced to merge some schools and hand over the buildings of others to the municipalities.” Phahlane reiterated this sentiment when describing schools that had only two staff members, a teacher and a principal, and 30 pupils. “When we close down schools we consult extensively with all stakeholders affected and explain to them the reasons, such as relocating scholars to quality schools where they will receive quality education.” - citybeat@caxton.co.za
Mega bucks for education Khabisi Mosunkutu, Gauteng MEC for Community Safety.
NIE CELE an increase of 15.6 percent compared to the Gauteng Education Department is pulling previous year. out all stops to make sure that all challenges According to her this money would be facing the department are tackled effectively used to get the basics in education right, in a way that will bring satisfactory matric including improving the results come the end of the year. matric pass rate, reading, What do you think? Special schools and children S Go to joburgnorth. mathematics, physical science, P womf.com or SMS with special educational needs accounting, technology as well RKE, followed as infrastructure and school budget will be increase by 20 E by your percent. This is an important A safety. name and K comment, in increase for a sector which Asked if the money was less than 160 has traditionally been underenough to tackle challenges to 32690. U characters, resourced. facing her department Creecy SMSes charged at That’s according to P R1. said, “The 15.6 percent increase Education MEC Barbara is a lot considering that we Creecy during her 2010/11 budget are still recovering from the economic presentation at the Legislature. Her recession. What more could I ask?” department received R22.48-billion - citybeat@caxton.co.za
City of gold, not city of holes NIE CELE One of the oldest features of democracy, majority rule, is fast proving to be the biggest impediment to members of the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the city council chambers when they attempt to make their voices heard. This was revealed by Michael Sun, DA spokesman on by-law issues in Joburg. According to Sun, a classic example was when the DA attempted to put in a motion at a city council monthly meeting for the urgent repair of potholes and malfunctioning traffic lights. “This was rejected outright. This was going to decrease the municipality’s risk on damage claims and increased insurance premiums that are believed to be ballooning.’’ Sun also divulged that he was recently phoned by 12 motorists who wanted to know the claim procedure, and said this was a sign that city council was spending astronomical amounts on claims despite having an insurance company that dealt with them. A furious Sun said the purpose of the DA’s motion was simple. “Fix the potholes and traffic lights. Every day our residents travel on roads full of potholes and very often traffic congestion is caused as a result of malfunctioning traffic lights. Both are hazardous and inflict unnecessary danger on the public.” He argued that potholes had no political affiliation. “The motion is not intended to score any political points. It is simply
DA councillor Michael Sun an honest attempt to get the city council to take action and repair potholes. Let Johannesburg be a city of gold and not a city of holes,’’ said Sun. Meanwhile, Nonceba Molwelwe, ANC chief whip in city council said the DA was playing politics. “They have a tendency to raise an issue that has been reported and is in the process of being attended to. Potholes are reported every day and are being repaired finish and klaar.” - citybeat@caxton.co.za