In 1992 on the southern rural-urban fringes of Tumahole, the tiny township’s first primary school was built. Today Ntswephepa Public School is one of two primary schools there. Academically competitive Ntswephepa boasts a crop of dedicated educators, including Grade 3 teacher Kedijang Sefatsa. The long gravel road to the school is strewn with heaps of garbage at intersections a sure sign of poor municipal service delivery. But inside the grounds everything is neat and clean.
Kedijang Sefatsa, 39, Primary school teacher, Tumahole, Parys, Free StateVote quote: “My vote is with the ANC because there is no real alternative out there —” (Photo: Oupa Nkosi)
The young pupils scream excitedly round the playground in their casual clothes: it’s the last day of term and their teachers are finalising report cards, so there are no formal classes. Sefatsa is expecting us. Impeccably dressed in a black suit and royal blue blouse, her good looks and height are striking and she towers over her colleagues – to whom she sets about introducing to us – in the staff room. Sefatsa offers to gather up her learners for an impromptu maths class. As she calls them in from the playground, they race to their desks and it is clear they love her. In just a few minutes a class of about 30 children is chanting their multiplication tables. With a wide smile, Sefatsa conducts her little orchestra: “5,10,15,20,25,30, let’s go,” and the children shout back in their clear, high voices.
“Some of the teachers at this school taught me. It is disturbing that today I find myself among them and they still face the same old problems Our plight as teachers has been overlooked for many years, yet every year we teach hundreds of children how to read and write. Without a doubt our profession should be the government’s first priority because of the important role it plays in building this nation. Our biggest problem is money. Look at me; I am a 39 year-old single mother and I still stay with my parents because my salary does not qualify me for a house.
I can’t buy a car because I am always broke. When I walk around the township people think that because I am a teacher I have it better. I became a teacher in 1996 and after 13 years I have nothing physical to show. These and other issues should push us to vote in order to ensure change. I will definitely vote this year to make sure that I am counted and that I contribute to the selection of a person who is going to lead my country. Though I am not quite confident about a Jacob Zuma presidency, I still think that the ANC still has what it takes to take this country forward.
Looking back to where we come from, it is difficult to just decide to vote for another party. The ANC needs to stop the infighting and focus on completing their projects. None of the contesting parties have been in power before and clearly they do not have tried and tested policies at hand. At the moment I think the whole country is in a panic, as politics become part of everything. Politics have also made it into classrooms and that is unfortunate. Most of us teachers love children and love working with them and we understand their problems. I would really appreciate it if the government that takes over the country in April considers the children.
In Tumahole we have a lot child-headed families and most of our learners come from those families. It makes me sad looking at them, not knowing whether they are hungry or not. Our kids are struggling and we are underpaid. Yet we are expected by government to work longer hours and take care of these kids. I love my job, but I am definitely not happy with my payslip. At month end I become miserable because of all my debts. I think teachers need to be appreciated and respected more — but I have hope in South Africa as a country and I think most people feel the same.”