Shigombe Primary School on track to retain the mantle of cleanest school
Stakeholders de-bushing the school yard in preparation for the opening of the school
Shigombe Primary School in the Collins Chabane Local Municipality, declared Limpopo’s cleanest school in 2023 by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism has vowed not to give up the mantle without a fight.
Together with several stakeholders in the community including the ANC, the school started a cleanup campaign today to de-bush the school that was thick with grass due to heavy rains.
The school yard resembled a jungle when The Village Voice visited the school.
But school Principal Ms Julia Mabasa, local ward councilor Lisbeth Mathebula who was clad in ANC regalia and other leaders were busy removing the grass and some unwanted plantations from the yard.
They were working the whole day and vowed that they would not rest until they would have restored the school to its traditional position of a clean school envied by rivals.
“I am still smarting from our involvement as the ANC in cleaning up the year of Malamulele Hospital and today we participate in the local campaign by the school to clean its yard,” said councilor Mathebula.
Tw years ago, the school won the provincial greening competition organized by the Limpopo Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
The school is still the reigning winner of the provincial cleaning and landscaping competition.
After the win, the local traditional leader Hosana John Jilongo hailed the success.
“The village of Jilongo is generally a clean village. This is as a result of unity between various structures. In 1991 the village received an award from the then Gazankulu government as the cleanest village. Obviously the school is taking a cue from the village because it works in unison with the traditional leadership, “said Hosana Jilongo.
The school based at Jilongo village under the Madonsi Traditional Council was presented with the certificate and a cheque of R20 000 by the former Vhembe District Executive Mayor Dowelani Nenguda on behalf of Ledet MEC Rodgers Monama.
This was on the heels of the school receiving R15 00 for winning the regional version of the competition.
“The school management has also planted a tree at my kraal as a motivation that the whole community should also lead the cleanliness and greening campaign from the front, “said Hosana Jilongo.
The school principal Julia Mabasa says the school will not give up its mantle easily.
She says the competition is not only concerned with the cleanliness of the environment but also with landscaping.
The cleanliness campaign is led by the school governing body with a member of the body Risenga Elias Chauke helping cut grass in the school premises.
The school principal also praised local community leaders Dr Gulukhulu who is the chairman of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa in Vhembe and Collins Chabane Local Municipality councilor Lisbeth Mathebula who is in the ANC ticket.
“They are both part and parcel of the success of the school as we always consult them,” said school governing body member Chauke.
Dr Mathebula said Shigombe should also follow other surrounding schools to follow suit and clean their environments.
