Riot!

Today we had a demonstration at the school, or rather just outside the gates of the school!

Let me give you some back ground info:
For a while now, the authorities have expanded the township (the vilage), which means more cildren. One thing that they had "forgotten" when they built a lot of these houses, was that children need to go to school! The only high school in that area, was Waterloo Secondary School. They have not expanded that along with the rest of the township.

In 2005 they started building a new school for us just up the hill from where we are. They started with 6 classrooms, and were supposed to bulid 6 more each year. That means there should be 18 classrooms there now, acording to my calculations...
Still just the first 6...

As I told you in my previous repport, we don't have enough rooms for all our classes. It is unbearable for the teachers, but even more so for the pupils! They spend every period in there!!! So they have had enough! Who can blame them??!! Seriously..!!!

So what they did today, was to go outside the gate of the school, and they set fire to several tyres! Massive, black smoke..!!! They were shouting and dansing and marching and singing! Then the ones outside the gate started throwing stones at the pupils still on the inside, because they should come out and join them! Nice invitation.. ;) A couple of cars got hit (Piet's BMW was not one of them), and I believe one of the pupils.., no serious injuri, though!

After a while they came marching/dansing (the Africans never march - they dance!) through the gate and over to the staffroom, where most of the teachers were "hiding"! They were shouting their slogans and waving their posters. That's when I got worried things would get out of hand... So I sent sms's to some prayer warriors, and the pupils "danced" their way back out through the gate! Just that second...

The police came to bring the crowd under control, since it was an "ilegal demonstration"... They did well until they started shooting at them with tear gass! Tear gass at children down to the age of 13!!! I'm shocked! Again!
Finally the pupils got tired of everything, assembled at the ground to give instructions about the demonstration tomorrow, and then went on their way...

I support their cause! Really! But the problem is, they are still a bunch of teenagers and it can easilly "snap" and go terribly wrong...!!!
I told them they must make a petition to take to the whole community to sign. It's their kids, so they should care! Then we would bring a newspaper reporter, and take all the lists to the office of those responsible! And lay down our claims!!!

I hope and pray tomorrow will go well, with no personal injury and no material damage...
And for those you who pray, please join me!

And by the way, I'm moving in to my little grannyflat (hopefully) next weekend! So ahead of time, for once...!! :)))

Love to all, and peace!