Durban — Manzimakhulu Primary School in Nongoma, northern KwaZulu-Natal, received new school uniforms worth R134 200 on Thursday.
About 52 full uniforms were handed over to 21 girls and 31 boys when the Asibagqokise programme was launched by the KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza.
This was done in partnership with the SA Social Security Agency. The social protection programme forms part of the government’s initiative to ensure that all pupils go to school in full uniforms.
Addressing the parents, teachers and pupils of Ward 20, Khoza said parents who denied children education had no interest in the development of the country.
She said it was important that parents prioritised education for their children in order to break the chain of poverty.
Khoza pleaded with the parents to pay more attention to their children in order to notice signs of abuse.
“We have a huge challenge when our children get abused and some are killed by those who are supposed to protect them. As the community we want to work together to ensure all those who abuse children get exposed and arrested,” Khoza said.
One of the parents, Cebisile Mthembu, recalled that during her school days she would walk barefoot.
The department stated that it would continue supplying pupils with uniforms across the province to promote a culture of education adding that situations of children staying at home due to unaffordability of the uniform were not acceptable.
Meanwhile, on Friday, KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube and Khoza will hand over school uniforms to flood victims and needy pupils at Dawede Primary School, Molweni, west of Durban.
Daily News