Teachers at Enkululekweni Primary in Kraaifontein on Wednesday refused to work and demanded that their offices be disinfected after an educator tested positive for Covid-19.
Wearing masks, they remained in the parking lot and would not enter the building.
“A teacher who is part of the School Management Team (SMT) tested positive and was working the whole of last week,” an angry teacher told the Daily Voice.
“We were not told about this until the teacher revealed it to us when we asked why she is not reporting for duty.”
The teachers said they shared an office with the infected teacher.
“On Monday we panicked and did not know what to do but today we realised that we are putting our lives in danger by continuing working with the office being disinfected.”
Western Cape Education Department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said they were not aware of the situation at the school but said the district office is following up on the matter.
A number of schools have reported cases after teachers returned to school on Monday, ahead of classes resuming from 1 June.
Parkvale Primary School in Valhalla Park, the Hague Primary School in Delft and Sinethemba High School in Philippi all confirmed that their staff were being tested.
There are also claims of positive cases at Leiden Primary, Mbekweni Primary, Nieuwe Drift Primary, Ocean View Secondary, Zwelihle Primary, and EA Janari Primary School but the WCED could not confirm this on Wednesday.
“Due to the amount of queries that we are receiving, and unsubstantiated reporting on Covid-19 cases in schools on various platforms and in media, the WCED is currently in the process of verifying these cases,” said Hammond.
“Our priority remains accuracy and the best interests of our teachers and learners at all times.”
DEMAND: The Kraaifontein school teachers in the parking lot as they refuse to enter the building
On Wednesday the Western Cape had 16 551 confirmed cases of which 8504 have recovered, while 387 people have died.
South African Democratic Teachers Union Western Cape chairperson Jonovan Rustin said they informed their members not to report for duty until they are satisfied that schools are ready for them.
“We still want the schools to be inspected by the department of labour and health before our members go in,” he said.
The teachers said they were told that a no-work-no-pay policy would apply.