This archive report was first published on 8 June 2020.
On Monday, children in South Africa began returning to classrooms as part of a gradual loosening of restrictions imposed under a months-long Covid-19 lockdown in the continent's most industrialised nation.
According to the government, nearly 50,000 cases of the new coronavirus have been reported in South Africa, with almost 1,000 deaths. The country has the highest number of cases in sub-Saharan Africa.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said that ramped up efforts to equip schools over the past week meant that 95 percent of South Africa's primary and secondary schools were now able to host classes.
Ms Motshekga emphasized that schools would only reopen if they were ready to do so, stating, 'The golden rule is there will be no school that will resume if not ready to do so.'
Initially, only pupils in grades 7 and 12 will return to class, with other years phased in gradually. The government will find alternative arrangements for pupils at schools unable to open on Monday.
Many of South Africa's government schools are in poor shape, particularly in rural areas, and analysts say that a quarter of them have no running water, making hand-washing nearly impossible.
Others have been vandalised or hit by arson attacks during a nationwide lockdown imposed by the government in March.
