Kimwenza: Tony Mwaba sends a delegation to investigate rain damage

The Minister of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST), Professor Tony Mwaba Kazadi, urgently dispatched a delegation to schools in Kimwenza, in the Mont Ngafula commune, to assess firsthand the damage caused by the rain that fell on Monday, March 18, 2024, in Kinshasa.

Led by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the EPST Minister, Daniel Ebondo Kashama, the delegation first visited Kimwenza High School, where it was welcomed by the Headmistress, Reverend Pélagie Nzenzi Nzeza, accompanied by members of the school’s management committee. Recounting this visit, which took place after she had informed the minister in charge, the Headmistress provided the delegation with the necessary details regarding the incident.

"Yesterday around 3:00 p.m., heavy rain fell here and there was a violent wind, while the students were in the cafeteria. This wind caused enormous damage, tearing off the roof and causing the walls to collapse. The water well was also damaged, as were the bread oven, the electric pot, and the solar panels, which had been blown away. Fortunately for us, praise God, the students were in the dining hall. Usually, they go straight to the dormitory after dinner. But yesterday, for some unknown reason, the students did not go straight up. All four dormitories were damaged; only one remains intact," she said.

The Head Sister has asked the government, through the Ministry of Education, to provide urgent assistance so that the students can resume their studies in a proper school environment, especially since they are boarding students at Kimwenza High School.

"Since the government is represented here, we really want a solution to be found quickly so that these students can resume classes and sleep in their dormitories; otherwise, all of this is traumatic and disrupts the learning environment at school. Today, these children did not attend classes. They were sleeping because they hadn’t slept well the night before. If the government can truly provide us with this assistance, we will be very pleased and deeply grateful,” she said. 

After listening to all the concerns raised by the school’s headmistress, the minister’s deputy chief of staff, on behalf of the head of the EPST, promised an urgent response to restore the students’ rights.

"What happened at this school is undermining education itself and eroding the quality that is part of the vision of the Head of State, His Excellency Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi, and which is embodied by his deputy, Minister Tony Mwaba Kazadi—who was unable to attend—and who sent us here to assess the damage. We have just received the school’s report, which we will address urgently to finally provide a solution shortly. Therefore, as the minister’s representative, we will immediately visit another school to receive their report, and we will promptly assess how to provide emergency assistance,” stated Daniel Ebondo.

The Minister’s Deputy Chief of Staff then led the delegation to other schools also affected by rain damage, including Ndingabote Middle School, Tuzolana Elementary School, and Ntemo Elementary Schools 1 and 2.

At Ntemo Primary Schools 1 and 2, the principals on site explained to the Minister of EPST’s delegation that these two public schools, built in 1947, are currently in ruins. They sounded the alarm for the urgent rehabilitation process to be initiated.

At Ndingabote Middle School, the Academic Dean expressed his delight at the promptness with which Minister Tony Mwaba Kazadi responded by dispatching a delegation to the site. He, in turn, described the damage caused by the rain before issuing an SOS to the authorities.

"You saw it—the rain devastated a building over 50 meters long, and you can see the roof is gone. Those who were there told me that the metal sheets were flying off and severing trees. And you can still see them perched on that tree over there. The damage is truly enormous. In the other building, you’ll see that the metal sheets in the machine room have been blown away. There are also two classrooms where the roofs have been blown off. We are sounding the alarm to the authorities in charge of us to come to our aid. If the government can help us repair the damage caused by yesterday’s rain as soon as possible, it will put us and the children at ease, and work will resume properly,” he said.

At the end of his inspection visit, the Minister’s Deputy Chief of Staff promised to report to the head of the EPST on the various pieces of information gathered at each of the affected schools, in order to provide urgent solutions.

Christian BELLA