Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has received two significant donations of sanitisers to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in schools.
Energy and chemical company, Sasol and Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza, on behalf of Ondersterpoort Biological Products, donated the sanitisers.
The donation, which took place on Monday, coincides with the return of the final group of learners, as part of the phased reopening of schools.
“I want to sincerely thank Sasol for this donation because it has allowed us to open schools safely. Education is very important and a lifeline for poor children. We are a very big system and every donation makes a huge difference,” said the Minister.
The handover of 80 000 litres of hand sanitisers from Sasol took place at Sasol Bowling in Johannesburg, followed by the donation from Ondersterpoort Biological Products in Pretoria.
With limited resources within government, Motshekga said her department had to reprioritise its budget from key areas to combat the safety challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“COVID-19 has brought a new dynamic, which is not only disrupting our schooling time but also our resources. The money that we were supposed to use for sanitation infrastructure had to be used for sanitisers, masks and all sorts of things, which were not part of our plan.
“Treasury said to us there is no new money, reprioritise within your budget. We had to take money from other budgets to deal with this main factor of safety in our schools,” Motshekga said.
Sasol Vice President for Social Investment, Gao Mothoagae, said the initiative was the energy company’s way of contributing to the fight against COVID-19.
“This sanitiser initiative has been running for the last four months. We are so proud about what we have been able to do in collaboration with our base energy team and Sasol energy team, and all our teams to be able to deliver solutions that impact and protect the right to life for so many,” said Mothoagae. – SAnews.gov.za
