Durban — The Zululand District Municipality mayor Thulasizwe Buthelezi together with FNB have committed themselves to building five computer labs in primary schools across the district.
This was announced by Buthelezi at the official handover ceremony of a computer lab at Inkosi Mbhasobheni Primary School in Ulundi on Wednesday.
It was donated by a private technology company. Buthelezi said when he informed the bank officials in Joburg that he was going to hand over the lab at his former primary school, the senior officials of the bank pledged to build five more computer labs for the district primary schools in order to bridge the digital divide which exists between the rural and urban communities.
Buthelezi said five local municipality mayors and councillors would have to choose one primary school in each municipality to benefit from the rollout to ensure that the benefit was evenly distributed across the Zululand district.
Delivering his main address during handover of the lab to his former school, Buthelezi said he was touched when the school management approached him and requested the assistance, saying he quickly solicited sponsorship.
Buthelezi said the request reminded him that he was a product of the school. He said he first saw what a computer looked like when he arrived at university. Buthelezi felt he should do something so that the children of the school do not have a similar experience.
“Today we are handing over this lab which we know will go a long way in bridging the digital gap between rural and urban pupils. As the world fast moves to the fourth industrial revolution, it makes me sad that the rural communities where I come from were still lagging behind because they were lacking facilities such as the one we have built here,” Buthelezi said.
The computer lab which was also fitted with a scanner and printer came in handy as schools prepare to start coding and robotics subjects in the next term which the education department had already announced it was adding to the school curriculum next year.
Principal Ntombi Mbatha said she was happy that her school was ahead of others in preparing for the coding and robotics curriculum which is set to begin next year. She said it was important to prepare pupils for the digital era which the whole world is fast moving to.
The project which cost close to R500 000 came with CCTV cameras to ensure the equipment was safe.The camera is also linked to the local police station which will make it easier for police to monitor anything coming closer to the centre at night.
Circuit manager Xoli Cele said what Buthelezi did, made a difference compared with other politicians who gave food parcels, adding that as much as people need food, giving them a computer lab would help them get skills for life was a real investment.
Cele said the lab would not only benefit the school, but also the neighbouring ones which will have to send pupils to access the centre.
Daily News