Investigations into the incident that led to the death of toddler Kganya Mokhele stalled as the Gauteng Department of Education waits to appoint an independent firm to probe the circumstances.
Kganya died more than a month ago when an unsecured bookshelf collapsed on top of him at Little Ashford Preschool in Bedfordview, east of Johannesburg.
It’s believed Kganya was reaching for a toy on one of the shelves when the 2 metre-high bookshelf lost balance and came crashing down.
The school reopened its doors soon after the incident – with the voices of toddlers ringing out again on the playground and their bustling bodies visible from the main gate.
It’s a stark contrast to the eerie silence of 7 March 2023.
The four staff members who were spotted on the CCTV footage sitting on their phones in the classroom where the incident happened – were also back at work pending the outcome of the school’s internal investigation.
Little Ashford said it was unable to provide any updates.
A parallel probe by the Gauteng Department of Education was yet to begin after promises by MEC Matome Chiloane.
But department spokesperson Steve Mabona said their main focus was to visit the school to determine if it’s compliant with standards in the early childhood development sector.
While some in the community where the daycare is located had initially raised some concerns about the school flouting zoning regulations – a local leader said none of those concerns were substantiated.
In spite of all of this, the family remained shattered as they prepared to mark what would have been Kganya’s third birthday in a few days to come.
-EWN
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