Two North West educators are receiving counselling after they were physically assaulted by angry community members of Dingateng village in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District.
The two are, aged 27 and 46 from Mathateng and Dingateng Primary Schools respectively, were allegedly attacked on Wednesday morning on their way to the work, following two months of no schooling in the area.
The department said the situation was returning to normalcy, but community members barred educators and learners, removed the teachers off their transport and assaulted them.
“This barbaric incident follows the two months of no schooling at Masamane Village, due to the allegations of incorrect appointment of the Educators Assistants and General Assistants at Masamane Primary school,” said the department spokesperson, Mphata Molokwane.
Molokwane added that the department has addressed water challenges that affected sanitation at the said schools. The shortage of water affected the flushing of toilets among other challenges.
“The department [Education] had on Monday, 09 October sourced out temporary toilets and filled Jojo tanks with water whilst the contractor was on sight to install a borehole at the schools,” stressed the spokesperson.
The MEC for Education Viola Motsumi has condemned the attacks and will on Thursday meet with community members to resolve the standoff.
“It is so disappointing to leave among beasts who think they are above benevolence and above the law that they would go about slapping teachers. As the department and education community, a slap to one educator is a slap to all of us.
I will make sure the mighty hand of the law deals with them. We are celebrating the efforts of our educators this month and we rally behind them being celebrated by the community. Thus, barbarism ends now,” said an irate Motsumi.
A case has since been opened with the police.