South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Reginah Mhaule, says schools resumption has been pushed back by two weeks because of the second wave of coronavirus cases.
The schools were earlier scheduled to reopen on January 27 but will now open on February 15.
Mhaule said the postponement was due to the ‘strained’ healthcare system amid the second wave of Covid-19 infections.
“We are one country and even if you are an independent school, you are a school. They operate within the same community and same society in the Republic of SA. We cannot treat some as if they live somewhere we don’t know,” Mhaule said.
“It’s not a matter of punishing anybody. It’s a matter of taking care of the lives of South Africans. We are taking care of the lives of teachers, non-teaching staff and pupils. It’s not a punishment or holding anyone to ransom that you cannot go to school.”
Basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga, is currently on sick leave. Mhaule, who made the announcement in her place on Friday, didn’t disclose what the minister was suffering from.
She, however, said: “The minister is at home. She is fine, when we speak to her she is fine. I don’t know about the Covid status but she is recovering at home and will be back next week.”
