Durban – School governing bodies of the Bayhaven area, near Durban, are in trouble with the Department of Basic Education for calling on parents to keep their children at home despite South African schools reopening on June 8 after the Covid-19-related shutdown.The DBE issued a statement last Friday to the chairpersons of the SGBs within the Bayhaven district , bringing to their attention a statement that urged parents to keep their children at home.
"It is in the best interest of our children and communities that we heed this call and keep our children at home," said the spokesperson for theregional executive committee in eThekwini, came under the spotlight of the department after this statement was released. Dr Enock Vusumuzi Nzama, head of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, replied: "Your joint media statement dated 11th June 2020 which has been circulating on social media has been brought to my attention.The head of department then urged the SGBs to retract their statement.affirmative, you are required to immediately withdraw the statement and desist from influencing parents not to send their kids to school," said Nzama.
Bemused by the breach in the chain of command, Nzama added: "In terms of the Section 16 of the South African Schools Act, it is only the head of department who can close a public school temporarily in the case of an emergency if he or she believes on reasonable grounds that the lives of learners and staff are endangered or that there is a real danger of bodily injury to them or damage to property.