"We need permanent solutions to counter load shedding, not generators. These generators will still need fuel, and most of these schools are situated in rural areas, where they cannot generate funds to purchase fuel," said Mr Aphane Matlatle, Limpopo Chairperson of the Congress of South African Associations of School Governing Bodies.
He said most of the Limpopo schools were situated in deep rural areas, and more than 3,000 schools still needed to use generators to combat electricity outages such as load shedding and cable theft.
Matlatle was speaking on Wednesday, 7 May, at Matimba High School in Nkavele village, just outside Malamulele, when the Minister of Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, the MEC for Education, Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya, and the executive mayor of the Vhembe District Municipality, Freda Nkondo, handed over 15 generators to various schools in the Vhembe region.
However, the Minister of Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, told learners and communities that the generators being handed over to some rural schools had nothing to do with load shedding. He said the generators were provided as part of emergency measures to ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply.
According to Dr Ramokgopa, people should understand that cable theft left schools in darkness, interrupting learning and teaching. The generators donated to schools mean no need will exist to wait for Eskom to fix stolen cables that lead to darkness.
He added that they chose the schools in the most remote areas to start rolling out the donation of generators as part of ensuring an uninterrupted electricity supply at rural schools.