The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is appealing to Witzenberg parents to end their ongoing protest, which has disrupted year-end examinations and halted teaching for three weeks at Nduli Primary School in Ceres.
The school governing body is demanding the establishment of an additional isiXhosa-medium school in the area, as well as urgent repairs to the existing school’s infrastructure. Protesters have escalated their grievances to the provincial education offices in pursuit of swift action.
In response, the WCED says it has appointed a structural engineer to assess the school’s condition and will also investigate issues of overcrowding and maintenance.
The department has urged the community to allow learning to resume while these assessments are underway, warning that prolonged disruptions could negatively impact learners’ academic progress.