By Neo Kolane
South Africa has postponed the reopening of schools to June 8, after it had initially planned for grade 7 to 12 learners to resume classes on Monday this week.
A statement from by the National Emergency Command Centre (NECC) says the postponement by a week is attributed to the fact that a substantial number of schools were not as prepared as in some provinces. Schools have not received personal protective equipment as yet hence reopening on June 8.
“Upon arrival at Maseru on Monday, NECC established that at least 150 Basotho students who will commute from Lesotho to South Africa on a daily basis have already registered.”
The statement also says arrangements to ensure safety and protection of the lerners’ lives have been made as well. Students will also be monitored to enhance compliance against Covid-19, such as wearing of masks, observing social distancing and hand sanitizing.
The NECC reiterated the South African High Commission’s call to students in these grades who have not registered yet to continue doing so at the commission offices in the capital Maseru.
Students are expected to bring documents such as travelling documents (passports), study permits.
South Africa is a high risk country in as far as COVID-19 is concerned; it currently has a total of 37 525 cases, 19 692 recoveries and 792 fatalities, according to the World Health Organization.