Darling, a small town in the Cape Floral Region, is finally getting its first high school after nearly a decade of requests from the Swartland Municipality.
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The municipality confirmed the construction to SmileFM on 15 February. ‘The start of construction for the new high school follows an almost 10-year process of dogged persistence by the Swartland Municipality administration and councillors to highlight and press upon authorities the dire need [for] a high school for the town of Darling.
‘The Swartland Municipality already identified the need for a high school for Darling during the 2014/15 Integrated Development Plan,’ says spokesperson Mart-Marie Haasbroek.
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The Western Cape Provincial Treasury allocated R70 million to the budget of the project in 2018. However, the process was delayed and plans were eventually approved in September 2023.
‘The project faced another significant stumbling block at the end of 2023, due to the massive budget cuts imposed by the National Government affecting all budgeted for projects, including priority projects like the Darling High School,’ says Haasbroek.
‘Swartland Municipality however again met with the Western Cape Department of Education on 15 November 2023 and at the end of January 2024 and the Department agreed to start construction of the new school immediately. The first phase of this project will include the construction of 10 classrooms.’
Executive Mayor Harold Cleophas says the learners will not have to commute to other areas such as Atlantis, Malmesbury and Moorreesburg once the school is complete. ‘We are incredibly happy and relieved for this new high school. It will bring renewed hope to our Darling residents who will no longer have to face the prospect of sending their children away to other towns for an education.
‘Our sincere gratitude goes out to the ward councillors as well as the administration of Swartland Municipality who persisted and worked to make this dream a reality.’
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Picture: Swartland Municipality / Facebook