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Today the DA laid criminal charges at the Transvaal Road Police Station in Kimberley against those preventing learners from attending school in the Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality, Northern Cape.

More than 16 000 learners are reportedly being prevented from attending school. The chaos, specifically aimed at preventing the normal functioning of education, has seen over 35 schools closed for more than three months.

My intention was to visit schools in the municipality together with my colleague, DA Northern Cape Education spokesperson Dr Allen Grootboom, to assess the conditions faced by teachers and students in the area. The targeted intimidation and unruliness has, however, reached such proportions that the South African Police Services advised against travelling to the area.

At a briefing yesterday, the acting Premier of the Northern Cape, Ms Gizelda Cjikela, revealed that she recommended that a ministerial task team, sent to investigate the disorder, not visit the area because of the volatility and safety concerns and the fear of retaliation against those they would engage.

How can we allow such lawlessness and thuggery to go unchecked to the extent that learners are prevented from entering schools for months on end and branches of government are prevented from moving about freely in their own country because of intimidation?

This current state of affairs sends a powerful message that the citizens of the Northern Cape cannot trust this government to deliver the most basic services to the South African public.

I, together with Dr Grootboom, have therefore laid a charge in terms of Section 3(6)(b) of the South African Schools Act, 1996, which holds that any person who prevents a learner subject to compulsory attendance from attending a school is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment.

Our learners must be able to leave their homes to attend school and have their human right to basic education protected. The government and police must get into the area and clean house.