17 Mar 2019

Government remains committed to ensuring  that Lempu Junior Secondary School pupils fully recover from the mass hysteria that hit the school last week, sending panic among parents and the nation at large.

When addressing teachers and parents on March 13 in Salajwe in the Letlhakeng Sub-district, Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness Mr Biggie Butale said his visit was to show support and to affirm that government cared about the affected pupils and their families.

“Doctors and nurses at Letlhakeng and Scottish Livingstone Hospital worked overtime to make sure they give the best medical attention to the students,” he said.

Last week Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Alfred Madigele together with Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs Mr Ngaka Ngaka also visited the children after they were admitted at Scottish Livingstone Hospital.

Pupils attacked by the disease were numb and weak on the knees and unable to walk while some seemed to be hallucinating. Ministry of Basic Education, as a result, decided to close the school with classes expected to resume today.

The assistant minister asked the teachers and parents to remain steadfast in prayer as it was the solution to the kind of incident that befell the school, quoting from the Bible, Deuteronomy 29:29  - The secret things belong to the Lord Our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Mr Butale, therefore, said what happened to the children was only known to God, noting that although others may want to know it remained a mystery while the secret was with God.

Buttressing on the importance of praying so that when the children come they find peace and love, he quoted Jeremiah 29:11 and with it, he also encouraged teachers to know that there was a purpose why they worked at Salajwe.

“Have meaningful contribution to the lives of the students and leave a mark that many will remember you by when you leave for transfer or greener pastures,” he said.

The assistant minister implored parents to ensure they do not remind the children of what had happened, but to give them love so that they find peace when they come back to school on Sunday.

Mr Butale said the government would provide security for the children and do all they could to improve the living conditions of the children.

When giving an update, the school head Ms Barulaganye Moseki said the 126 students were released from the hospital last  Monday and all of them were with their parents.

“Even the two who had problems with eyesight have been healed and they are doing well,” she said.

Ms Moseki said they are thankful for the support that the government had given to the children and parents, especially from the health ministry and that of basic education.

The school head told the assistant minister that her school, which offered boarding facilities,  was overcrowded with an excess of 334 students.

She said the initial plan was that the hostels would accommodate only 144 boys, but there were 294, while the girls were 328 instead of 144.

Ms Moseki further said the situation had to be attended to without delay as the pupils’ bath in an open space while the drainage system was bad.

She also said it was about time the school facilities be revisited to provide maintenance where there was a need for such.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Moala Gaerupe said he was happy with the government’s response to the disaster.

He said even though they did not  know what caused the unknown disease, they remained adamant that through prayer God would heal the pupils and the school. Ends