Phoenix school community rallies to restore water supply after week-long outage
Phoenix Pioneer primary school Principal Neesha Chetty and Councillor Dr Jonathan Annipen.
Image: Supplied
IN A HEARTWARMING display of community spirit, residents in Phoenix came together last week to assist Phoenix Pioneer Primary School, which was left without water for an entire week due to damage to its pipeline.
The crisis had left learners and staff alike grappling with the absence of one of life's most essential resources, ultimately drawing the community closer as they sought solutions.
Neesha Chetty, the Principal of Phoenix Pioneer Primary School, shared her frustration at the situation, explaining that they were informed by the eThekwini Municipality that the fault lay on the school's side, presenting a daunting repair cost of R11,500.
'We faced a state of helplessness as a public school with limited financial resources,' Chetty lamented. 'This amount was simply beyond our reach. For seven long days, we were without water, an essential resource for the well-being and safety of our learners and staff,' she said
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Councillor Dr Jonathan Annipen, who represents the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in eThekwini, said that this was his former school and that it served hundreds of underprivileged learners in the Phoenix area.
'The crisis not only disrupted daily operations but also posed serious health and hygiene concerns for both learners and staff. Plumbers assessed the damage and quoted the school but as a public institution they could not afford it. With no funds readily available, the school was in a dire situation,' Annipen said.
Moved by the plight of the school, Annipen said he understood first-hand the challenges that public schools face and acted swiftly to resolve the issue.
'I could not sit back knowing that my alma mater was struggling to provide a basic necessity like water to its learners. This school is more than just bricks and mortar—it's a foundation for the future of our children, and I am committed to doing what I can to support it,' Annipen stated.
Annipen stated that local businessman Marcel Choonilal undertook the repairs at the school. Chetty expressed heartfelt gratitude to both Choonilal and Annipen for their timely and generous intervention which saved the school a significant amount of money and ensured that the learning environment was restored.
"Annipen's support has reminded us that leadership is not just about politics, but about service, compassion, and genuine care for community upliftment. He is a beacon of support for schools and communities in need," Chetty said.
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Phoenix school community rallies to restore water supply after week-long outage
Phoenix Pioneer primary school Principal Neesha Chetty and Councillor Dr Jonathan Annipen. Image: Supplied IN A HEARTWARMING display of community spirit, residents in Phoenix came together last week to assist Phoenix Pioneer Primary School, which was left without water for an entire week due to damage to its pipeline. The crisis had left learners and staff alike grappling with the absence of one of life's most essential resources, ultimately drawing the community closer as they sought solutions. Neesha Chetty, the Principal of Phoenix Pioneer Primary School, shared her frustration at the situation, explaining that they were informed by the eThekwini Municipality that the fault lay on the school's side, presenting a daunting repair cost of R11,500. 'We faced a state of helplessness as a public school with limited financial resources,' Chetty lamented. 'This amount was simply beyond our reach. For seven long days, we were without water, an essential resource for the well-being and safety of our learners and staff,' she said Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Councillor Dr Jonathan Annipen, who represents the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in eThekwini, said that this was his former school and that it served hundreds of underprivileged learners in the Phoenix area. 'The crisis not only disrupted daily operations but also posed serious health and hygiene concerns for both learners and staff. Plumbers assessed the damage and quoted the school but as a public institution they could not afford it. With no funds readily available, the school was in a dire situation,' Annipen said. Moved by the plight of the school, Annipen said he understood first-hand the challenges that public schools face and acted swiftly to resolve the issue. 'I could not sit back knowing that my alma mater was struggling to provide a basic necessity like water to its learners. This school is more than just bricks and mortar—it's a foundation for the future of our children, and I am committed to doing what I can to support it,' Annipen stated. Annipen stated that local businessman Marcel Choonilal undertook the repairs at the school. Chetty expressed heartfelt gratitude to both Choonilal and Annipen for their timely and generous intervention which saved the school a significant amount of money and ensured that the learning environment was restored. "Annipen's support has reminded us that leadership is not just about politics, but about service, compassion, and genuine care for community upliftment. He is a beacon of support for schools and communities in need," Chetty said.
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Phoenix Pioneer primary school Principal Neesha Chetty and Councillor Dr Jonathan Annipen. Image: Supplied A school in Phoenix which did not have a water supply for a week is grateful for the intervention of the community to repair the damaged pipeline. Neesha Chetty, the Phoenix Pioneer primary school Principal, said that they were informed by the eThekwini Municipality that the fault was on the school side and that the school would need to cover the R11,500 for the repair cost. Chetty said this disrupted learning and they were left in a state of helplessness. 'As a public school with limited financial resources, this amount was simply beyond our reach. For seven long days, we were without water, an essential resource for the well-being and safety of our learners and staff,' Chetty said. Councillor Dr Jonathan Annipen, who represents the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in eThekwini, said that this was his former school and that it serves hundreds of underprivileged learners in the Phoenix area. 'The crisis not only disrupted daily operations but also posed serious health and hygiene concerns for both learners and staff. Plumbers assessed the damage and quoted the school but as a public institution they could not afford it. With no funds readily available, the school was in a dire situation,' Annipen said. Moved by the plight of the school, Annipen said he understood first-hand the challenges that public schools face and acted swiftly to resolve the issue. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'I could not sit back knowing that my alma mater was struggling to provide a basic necessity like water to its learners. This school is more than just bricks and mortar—it's a foundation for the future of our children, and I am committed to doing what I can to support it,' Annipen stated. Annipen stated that local businessman Marcel Choonilal undertook the repairs at the school. Chetty expressed heartfelt gratitude to both Choonilal and Annipen for their timely and generous intervention which saved the school a significant amount of money and ensured that the learning environment was restored. "Annipen's support has reminded us that leadership is not just about politics, but about service, compassion, and genuine care for community upliftment. He is a beacon of support for schools and communities in need," Chetty said. Michelle Lutchmen, eThekwini ward 48 councillor said municipal water tanker services filled up the Jojo Tanks at the school and that at least five plumbers had been dispatched to assist but the damage was not linked to the water meter and it became a private matter. "We had engaged with private plumbers to assist in the matter and according to the school, residents had assisted to sponsor a plumber. We had also engaged a private plumber to assist with opening the valve when water was restored," Lutchmen said.
