North West
By Karabo Marifi
The North West Department of Education has strongly condemned false allegations made by a teacher from Nqunde Secondary School in Dithakwaneng near Vryburg, accusing the department of neglecting school infrastructure. In a media statement on Tuesday, 25 March 2025, Departmental Spokesperson Mphata Molokwane said MEC for Education Viola Motsumi called the claims “irresponsible” and misleading, especially since they went viral on social media. The department clarified that mobile classrooms were delivered, renovated, and furnished at the school, despite the teacher’s allegations.
A Viral Video Sparks Controversy
The drama started when a teacher at Nqunde Secondary School, located in the small village of Dithakwaneng near Vryburg, posted a video on social media. In the clip, the teacher claimed his classroom was in a terrible state—lacking furniture, damaged, and unsafe for learners. He said pupils were scared to attend classes and had to carry desks, disrupting lessons for up to 20 minutes. The teacher also accused the school principal of ill-treating him, alleging she used these conditions to frustrate him and make his learners fail.
The video didn’t stop there. The teacher went on to claim the principal spent her time in the kitchen, gossiping with women from the township who “do not have matric,” instead of managing the school. He described the staff room as a “pigsty” and said it wasn’t opened until 8:30 AM, despite classes starting earlier. The video quickly spread across platforms, stirring up anger among parents and the community, who felt the North West Department of Education was failing their children.
The Department Fights Back
The North West Department of Education wasn’t about to let these claims slide. On 25 March 2025, they issued a strong statement through spokesperson Mphata Molokwane. “MEC for Education in the North West Province, Viola Motsumi, condemns in the strongest terms possible the false allegations levelled against the Department by a teacher from Nqunde Secondary School in Dithakwaneng near Vryburg,” Molokwane said.
The department called the teacher’s actions “irresponsible,” saying the allegations “misrepresent the Department’s efforts to improve school infrastructure.” They set the record straight with a clear timeline of their work at Nqunde Secondary. Last year, the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district office requested extra funding to relocate unused mobile classrooms to the school. On 9 January 2025, the funding was approved. A site handover happened on 25 February 2025, signed off by the School Governing Body (SGB) Chairperson.
By 13 March 2025, the project was done—mobile classrooms were assembled, renovated, and furnished. “A completion certificate was signed by both the principal and the SGB Chairperson, confirming that the necessary infrastructure improvements had been made,” Molokwane added. This directly contradicts the teacher’s claims of a neglected classroom.
MEC Motsumi’s Stern Warning
MEC Viola Motsumi didn’t hold back in her response. “It is deeply concerning that some educators, instead of focusing on their core duty of teaching and uplifting learners, are engaging in the deliberate spread of falsehoods,” she said. She urged teachers to use proper channels to raise concerns, rather than turning to “social media theatrics” that mislead the public.
Motsumi has been vocal about improving education in the North West. Since taking office in 2022, she’s made school infrastructure a priority, often visiting schools to ensure projects are on track. Her department has also been tackling other challenges, like gangsterism and overcrowding, while pushing for better matric results—North West scored an 81.6% pass rate in 2023, ranking fourth nationally.
The Bigger Picture: School Infrastructure in the North West
The North West Department of Education has been working hard to fix school infrastructure, especially in rural areas like Dithakwaneng. Over the past few years, they’ve rolled out mobile classrooms to schools in need, built new facilities, and renovated old ones. For example, in April 2024, Acting Premier Nono Maloyi and MEC Motsumi opened Saruchera Primary School in Huhudi, Vryburg, a state-of-the-art facility for 1,380 learners. That project eased overcrowding in nearby schools, showing the department’s commitment to better learning spaces.
They’ve also tackled long-standing issues. In 2023, Motsumi intervened at Tlhakajeng Primary School in Kraaipan village, where six classrooms were torched during a 2019 protest. Mobile classrooms were provided as a temporary fix, with plans for permanent upgrades. These efforts show a department trying to address a massive backlog, despite setbacks like community protests and budget constraints.
The Human Cost of Misinformation
The teacher’s viral video didn’t just spark debate—it caused real harm. Parents in Dithakwaneng, already worried about their kids’ education, felt betrayed. “I saw that video and thought the department doesn’t care about our children,” said Thandi Molefe, a mother of two at Nqunde Secondary. “Now I hear the classrooms were fixed. Why cause all this drama?”
Misinformation on social media can spread fast, especially in small communities where trust in institutions is fragile. The department’s statement aims to rebuild that trust, but the damage is done—parents are frustrated, and the teacher’s claims have painted a negative picture of Nqunde Secondary.
Challenges in North West Schools
The North West Province faces big hurdles in education. Many schools, especially in rural areas, struggle with old buildings, overcrowding, and a lack of resources. In 2023, Motsumi addressed the slow construction of Tigane Secondary School near Klerksdorp, where payment issues delayed progress, forcing learners into a hybrid attendance model. She promised a speedy fix, showing her hands-on approach.
Gangsterism is another issue. At John Frylinck Secondary School in Huhudi, Vryburg, Motsumi stepped in after learners brought dangerous weapons to school, disrupting classes. She’s also pushed for better support for special needs learners, benchmarking autism schools in the Western Cape to bring similar facilities to the North West.
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