Family of injured boy meets officials to plan way forward

THE family of a Grade R pupil who suffered serious injuries after falling from a jungle gym at a prominent Port Elizabeth school met officials at the Department of Education in Sidwell yesterday to file a formal complaint against the school.

Bathandwa Dingela’s family were horrified to find him alone at Livingstone Hospital with a broken jaw and broken arm after his accidental fall at Cotswold Primary School.

No one from the school had accompanied the five-year-old in the ambulance to the hospital.

and the following day Bathandwa’s mother, Akhona Dingela, laid a complaint of child negligence at the Mount Road police station.

She said she was shocked and disappointed to find that the school had not sent anyone to accompany him while he was transported to hospital.

She said she had found him frightened, in excruciating pain and unable to talk because of a broken jaw.

Akhona’s brother, Sinethemba, said he and another family member had met department officials yesterday morning.

“They said we have to give them a written letter detailing the incident so that we can lay a formal complaint. We will see what happens from there.”

According to Sinethemba, Bathandwa had suffered such severe injuries during his fall because the area under the jungle gym was paved.

“My nephew is doing well and recovering slowly. He will go back to Cotswold Primary. We do not want to break the relationship he has made with his teacher and the principal.

“We have told them that this issue is not personal. It is just to raise our concerns around their practises of sending injured children alone to hospital. We want the school to change its policies and practises regarding this.”

Last week, the department’s labour relations specialist Mphakamisa Hlekani confirmed that the school had reported the incident and that head office would be handling the matter.

However, provincial spokesman Malibongwe Mtima was unavailable for comment.