Preschool turned into shebeen

By Mandilakhe Tshwete

Cape Flats children arriving for preschool on Monday were surprised to discover their creche had been turned into a shebeen over the weekend.

Empty beer bottles, cigarette butts and two pool tables replaced the toys that used to lie on the floor of the Wesbank creche.

Principal Faith Majozi of Ingomso Lethu Educare said that even the toilets had been damaged by the drunkards.

"It was stinking when we walked in, we first had to clean and fit all the children in one small room," she said.

"The big class has the pool tables which we can't let the children go into because we don't want to be held responsible for any damages to it."

She said the caretaker had handed over the keys to strangers over the weekend and lied about it.

"He first told me he didn't know how they got in and then he said there was a pool competition," Majozi said.

"Then he said the people said they didn't want the creche, they want to open a shebeen."

But the 32-year-old said they would never give way for for a filthy shebeen.

"I think they wanted us to get frustrated and move when we see the pool tables, but that has encouraged us to stay and fight for the building," she said.

Three months ago Majozi took the initiative of opening a free nursery school for Wesbank kids.

She said most people seemed to appreciate what she was doing for the poor children in the community.

"However, when we officially opened I realised there were people who don't like the creche here," said Majozi.

"They said I should move and go to another place, they said they want to open a shebeen."

When the Daily Voice arrived at the school, concerned parents were still desperately trying to clean the place so that lessons could continue.

The building is also used as a Sunday school but when church-goers discovered the shebeen's mess they abandoned classes and left.

Eileen Coetzee of the Ubuntu Sunday School Ministries said the building, which used to be a clinic, was supposed to help the local kids, not doom them to a life of drinking and drugs.

"The community is using the building to keep the children away from a life of crime and when I had to turn them away on Sunday, I felt bad," she said.

"After Nadine Jantjies died in the area a while back, we decided to keep the children where we can see them."

Coetzee said she was still angry about people disrespecting the place where they praise God.

"They brought alcohol and drugs into a place of worship and where our children are educated," she fumed.

Majozi said that when the old Wesbank Clinic moved out of the building to a new one, people kept vandalising the building until she and the kids moved in.

"These people are jealous of the good work I'm doing for this community, they didn't think about using it and they want to open a shebeen," she said.

Mom Elaine van Rooyen, 42, said if a shebeen replaced the school, her child would suffer.

"This has helped me, I'm jobless and need to get out there and look for a job. I leave my child with Faith," she said.

"And my child is learning so much more at the pre-school than at home. The (shebeen) owner can go and corrupt another neighbourhood instead of ours."

Majozi said Councillor Frank Martin had given her permission to use the structure for education.
But Martin told the Daily Voice he had done no such thing.

"I found them here, no agreement was made between the city and the community," he said. "I'm waiting for permission from the relevant people and will thereafter decide whether they can continue to use it."

Majozi said that if the creche was moved, Martin and "his cronies" had better find a building.

"The children should feel comfortable in their own neighbourhoods. I opened the creche after a lot of children were kidnapped, raped and killed in Wesbank," she said. - Daily Voice