Nthatuoa Koeshe
PRIME Minister Moeketsi Majoro this week said he was shocked by the derelict condition in which Ratjomose Primary School is in.
Dr Majoro said this during a tour of the Maseru school whose infrastructure is dilapidated and is in dire need for repair.
So dire is the situation that the teachers have been begging for funds from well-wishers. Walls are cracked while several window panes are broken and the teachers said they were worried that the facilities were now a hazard for the learners.
Dr Majoro was accompanied by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Kemiso Mosenene; Local Government and Chieftainship minister, Lehlohonolo Moramotse, the ABC’s Maseru Central and Motimposo legislators, Lesego Makgothi and Thabang Mafojane and senator Mphonyane Lebesa.
The premier conceded that the school’s infrastructure was in dire need for repair and pledged to engage the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) to help rebuild some of the classrooms.
“It is shocking to see the condition this school is in and we promise to come back and help where we can,” he said.
“I will engage the army LDF to lead in the rebuilding of the facilities.”
Apart from the classrooms, a hostel for underprivileged children is also nearing collapse.
Speaking to the Lesotho Times on the sidelines of the tour, principal ‘Mamikaele Matšaba said the school started developing cracks more than five years ago due to tremors caused by roadworks machinery during the construction of a nearby road.
Since then, the buildings have been developing cracks and they are now a hazard for learners.
“We had stopped using some of the classrooms but we had to start using them again because of Covid-19 regulations which stipulate that learners and teachers must practice social distancing. Nevertheless, we are increasingly worried that one day, the buildings may collapse on learners,” Ms Matšaba said.
The situation is also worsened by the rampant vandalism since the school does not have a perimeter fence.
“Recently, books were burnt in classrooms and because we have no security, everyone walks in and out of this yard. Vandalism of classrooms is rampant.”
