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Teachers 'strike' over crime
02/11/2002 12:07 - (SA)
Dries Liebenberg, Beeld
Durban - More than half the 300 teachers of a Ladysmith school district are refusing to teach at the 30 schools in the area because of a sweeping wave of crime
At least 178 teachers have been reporting to the KwaZulu-Natal education department's regional office instead of taking the risk of going to school. During the past few weeks armed robbers have been holding up minibusses transporting teachers to schools in the rural Ekuvukeni area near Wasbank.
In one incident armed robbers forced a male teacher to undress in front of his female colleagues. The women were groped and robbers burnt continuing assessment documents they had found in the vehicle.
"We tried taking a different route in consultation with police, but teachers are still being attacked. The area is heavily wooded," says local education department spokesperson Zandile Mncube. Teachers are being targeted on pay days in particular.
Departmental spokesperson Mandla Msibi says the Ekuvukeni area has been racked by crime and faction fighting for some time, but the problem has become totally out of control.
The education department has hired the services of a private security company for the duration of matric exams to accompany invigilators to exam centres in the area.
Matric exams have not been disrupted and the 30 schools in the area have remained open. At the same time, however, crisis talks with police and local authorities have failed to produced any results.
- Beeld
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