The Honourable Dr. Mohono was in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality area, at Sewagodimo Senior Secondary School and Gobusamang Primary both in Pella near Rustenburg.

As part of the North West Provincial Legislature School Readiness Oversight Programme, the Speaker of the North West Provincial Legislature, Hon. Dr. Desbo Mohono and Members of the Provincial Legislature, today visited schools around the province in all districts. The Honourable Dr. Mohono was in the Moses Kotane Local Municipality area, at Sewagodimo Senior Secondary School and Gobusamang Primary both in Pella near Rustenburg.

Dr. Mohono met with learners during assembly time and imparted a few words of encouragement before meeting with the school management, school governing body and officials from the department. The meeting was also graced with the presence of traditional leadership in the area.

Although the school had done very well on their 2024 matric results, they are still faced with a lot of challenges and during the meeting Dr. Mohono the management and traditional leadership in the area highlighted the following challenges at the school;
• The school ceiling is falling, the structure is hazardous for the learners and according to the Principal Public Works was informed and they came on site but later abondoned the site claiming not the relevant equipment.
• The school is not properly fenced affecting the safety of both learners and teachers as well as the valuable technical lab equipment at the school, the department has been notified
• The municipality is billing the school for water, whereas there is no water meter on the premises, they are also giving them two different bills for the same school. How do they arrive at the amount for the water bill?
• The school had two learners that were pregnant last year, but the other one came back as she gave birth during recess.
• The school also has shortage staff, it does not have a Head of Department for Maths and one for technical science.

In trying to assist the school, the Speaker intervened and called the senior management in the department and an official was sent to the school immediately and they promised that by tomorrow the department will be on site to make sure that the structure is fixed. She also called the mayor to assist with the billing problems that the school is experiencing
She also told the school management and the traditional leadership that was present at the meeting that it is important for all stakeholders to come together and raise awareness on all social ills affecting the community. “You must call meetings with your community, including religious leaders to address this issue of teenage pregnancy, this problem must not be left for the teachers to address it needs all of us,” said the Hon. Speaker.

Dr Mohono also warned those that were in attendance about the effects of gender based violence to learners. “”Some of these learners come from broken families, where Gender-based violence was experienced at first hand. Our learners are dealing with a lot, the sooner we all pull together to fight the scourge, the better, said Dr Mohono.

At Gobusamang Primary the school had no material challenges except for a vacancy for the principal of the school who had retired in December 2024. Learners were in class and the school was ready for the 2025 academic year. Dr Mohono expreesed her concern about how the department of education plan their things. “You knew that the principal was retiring but you did not make provisions for the beginning of this year. It very much unfair to let this lady, who is an Acting Principal to act without being appointed formally cause that means she will not be remunerated for the work she has done, please correct that,” she said.