SUNDAY TRIBUNE | Sunday, May 31 2020 7

 COMPETITION

MZAMBA soup kitchen – poignant prose from pupils in lockdown has sparked a daily feeding scheme in Mzamba village near the Wild Coast Casino. | Theo Delort-Laval MMETRO Written  CHEMICAL WASTE from the heart

A BLUE uMbilo River tainted by an alleged chemical spill. Amid the invisible threat of Covid-19 infection, education offers hope, writes William Western Residents A 12-YEAR-OLD Wild Coast lad busy, attending to household chores, earning them food vouchers of R1 000 kitchen in Mzamba, entirely funded says he “feels like the breadwinner looking after his dogs, watering plants, each and praise from the adjudicators on donations from friends abroad. of his family” after coming second and doing lots of thinking “under a for their “mature understanding of the While Amahle Nqadini, who frustrated by in a writing competition and receiving tree in the back yard”. situation” and “wonderfully refresh- placed third, also misses the school a R750 food hamper. “I personally think it was a wise ing” observations. lunches, she said her biggest concern river pollution Such is life in Mzamba, a rural vil- decision for the president to announce The acute impact of the Covid 19 was catching up missed lessons, and lage adjacent to the plush Wild Coast a lock down to prevent the spread of lockdown and fears of a coronavirus how long it would take “for life to be Casino, on the KwaZulu-Natal South Covid-19,” wrote Mfundo. outbreak in Mzamba were a central normal again”. NATHAN CRAIG Coast and Transkei border. The con- In the meantime, staying home thread in many narratives. “My favourite subject is life skills. [email protected] trasts between the two are immense – a was the best option “since we waiting “At home we have never suffered It teaches us how to carry ourselves microcosm of where the on government to get a vaccine”. hunger ever since I was born, but now in life, careers we can follow, and THE UMBILO river has gone from poorest of the poor have been hardest But what might happen if no vac- we are out of groceries and no one is freedom of expression. I can’t wait being a black and grey sludge because hit by the Covid-19 lockdown. cine is found soon, troubles Mfundo. able to go to work, or buy blankets, to go back to school, but what will of sewage to an unnatural cerulean due “Street vendors suffer a lot since “What will happen to us?” he asked. warm clothes or even medicine for happen if coronavirus is still out to alleged chemical dumping. they can’t sell and provide for their Mfundo’s entry was one of more fever,” wrote Onele, whose family have there.” Queensburgh and families,” wrote Mfundo Shezi. than 30 in the competition catering been using limited supplies of sunlight Amid these fears, Roving Repor- residents, along the uMbilo River, But the Grade 7 pupil did not only for grades 6 and 7 pupils at Ithuba soap for sanitising. ters is rolling out the next round in namely from Paradise Valley, Glenpark, dwell on hardships. Wildcoast Community College, a not- She described the college as a fun its series of Covid-19-related story Moseley and Dawncliffe are frustrated. “I live in a warm home with love. for-profit private primary school, built and adventurous school with its own writing competitions for schools in They have sent emails, lodged com- I eat more healthily because I am not and funded by Austrian benefactors. vegetable garden that contributed to rural areas of the Eastern Cape and plaints and made desperate pleas for allowed to buy chips and sweets.” The competition was organised by nutritious lunches that pupils received KwaZulu-Natal. The theme is, Life help which remain unanswered as He said he missed his friends and the environmental journalism train- every school day. After Covid-19: The Future We Want. issues of pollution have become an school, especially natural science ing agency Roving Reporters with the On reading the entries, Founders almost daily occurrence. “because it gives me a clear knowledge modest prizes sponsored by Founders chairperson John Cheshire arranged ● To find out more about the jour- Residents have compiled spread- of nature”. Golf Tournament – the sole South an additional 180 food hampers for nalism-themed writing competitions sheets with over 70 complaints lodged Lockdown, he wrote, was “one of African funder of the school. pupils from the most needy homes. contact Roving Reporters director with eThekwini Municipality and have the hardest things my family has ever The joint winning entries were by An Austrian volunteer, Theo Fred Kockott at 083 277 8907 or email online folders filled with photographs experienced”, but he had kept himself Onele Dimane and Khanya Mkhonza, Delort-Laval, has since started a soup [email protected] of the river in various unhealthy states. Marinus Needham, a long-time Glenpark resident, said the issues were escalating and worsened every day. EDUCATION “The issues are widespread but in my home, we suffer between 6pm to 8pm every day as a putrid smell ‘Our kids are desperate to get back into classes’ wafts from the uMbilo River valley into my home. We are forced to plan A COURAGEOUS step is being taken strapped rural schools like Ithuba. She said orientation and training child shows suspected symptoms of our meals around this inconvenience. in resuming school activity amid the But unlike the Eastern Cape would provide full understanding of Covid-19. This property has been my home for Covid-19 pandemic, said Jackie du leadership of the South African the potential risks to both teachers Makedama said although school over 20 years but this is a new issue.” Toit, the general manager of Ithuba Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), and pupils. attendance was not compulsory, a Justine Saunders, member of the Wild Coast Community College. which has called on teachers to stay Temperature screening and full turn-out of Grade 7 pupils and Pinetown Conservancy and founder Over the past week, the school at home until the pandemic is over, sanitising will be done at the school teachers was expected tomorrow, of the uMbilo River Watch, said the management team and staff Ithuba staff are keen to catch up on gate at the beginning and end of followed by a phased in introduc- river flowed through the bottom of have been grappling with the lost teaching time. each day. tion of other classes as per guide- MFUNDO Tshezi, second prizewinner in her garden and she could not sit idly myriad regulations to ensure a “Our kids are desperate to get back Strict access control will be in lines provided by the Independent Roving Reporters pilot Life in Lockdown as the river deteriorated. safe environment, some of which into classes,” said principal Temba- place and parents and health author- Schools Association of South Africa. writing competition – a R750 food voucher “One of the major issues are nearby could prove challenging for cash- kazi Makedama. ities immediately alerted should a | www.rovingreporters.co.za – says he now feels like a breadwinner in factories which border the river. They his family. have to comply to regulations in order to dispose of chemical waste but we still have these issues meaning some- thing is not right.” Desiree Laverne, spokesperson for Greenpeace said they were disappointed and felt the municipality INDEPENDENT was not bothered by any environ- mental disasters that involve the uMbilo River. “The river is always polluted and the culprits just don’t seem to ever WEBINAR be held accountable for their actions. Government is a disaster when it comes to environmental protection featuring or conservation.” Queensburgh councillor Chris van der Berg said issues of sewerage leaks into the river were ongoing and celebrity Hair Stylist Terry Scott he always received complaints from residents. Ward 18 councillor, Melanie Bra- As he talks to us through hair care during lockdown uteseth: said there were compounded issues from the maintenance of the Umbilo Wastewater Treatment Works to outdated sewerage systems and manholes situated around the river. “Unfortunately, the only response I ever receive is that the municipality has depleted its budget and thus can- not allocate resources to this problem. Which is unacceptable.” Municipal councillor and eThek- wini executive committee member, Yogiswarie Govender, said attempts had been made to escalate the issue but unfortunately, with the lockdown, there had been slow progress. EThekwini Municipality’s spokes- person Msawakhe Mayisela said the city had not come across any cases of illegal dumping and that most of Terry Scott the investigated issues were traced to Hair stylist infrastructural issues. “For example, breaks in the sewer lines, and blockages often caused by misuse of the sewer system. We cannot dismiss the possibility of illegal dis- Join us via Facebook Live on Wednesday, June 3 at 1pm. charges and our team is investigating.” Mayisela said if a company required @IOSNewsSA to discharge trade effluent, they were required to comply with municipal sewage disposal by-laws. “Perpetrators caught illegally dis- charging into the river will be fined Tune in and get an opportunity to learn and prosecuted. They will also be how to keep your hair healthy at home. required to clean up and remediate the entire area affected.”