LOBAMBA – Members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) were left stunned on Wednesday after Gege MP Magesi Dlamini disclosed that Bethlehem Primary School in his constituency has only one pupil each in Grades 1 and 4.
The revelation came during the Ministry of Education’s appearance before the PAC, prompting Chairman Madala Mhlanga to ask Dlamini to repeat himself, unable to believe such a situation existed in the country.
Dlamini said he first heard of the matter from the school’s headteacher, and was equally skeptical until he visited the school himself. “I found that there is only one pupil in Grade 1 and one in Grade 4. These children are alone the whole day and have no one to interact with. The Headteacher even told me that one pupil once told the teacher to answer a question himself because he had no one to discuss it with,” said Dlamini, drawing laughter in the chamber.
He explained that many parents in Gege prefer to send their children to better-equipped schools outside the constituency, but only those who can afford transport costs are able to do so. The rest are left with no option but to send their children to under-resourced local schools like Bethlehem Primary.
The MP further shared that while Bethlehem Primary is listed under the Schools Feeding Scheme, government had not delivered food to the school for months. He said the pupils—most of whom come from poor households—relied solely on the school meals, and the current situation has left them hungry and struggling to concentrate.
Schools Manager Lungelo Nhlengetfwa told the committee that he was not aware of the school’s condition but promised to send a team to investigate and provide a report.
PAC Chairperson Mhlanga confirmed that the committee will visit Bethlehem Primary School to assess the situation and make recommendations to the Ministry of Education.
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