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Fatigue is the order of the day and some of the pupils have dropped out. Fingers have been pointed at the parents as the source of the problems, as they refuse to relocate to places with better facilities. Home for Kabelo Majaha is a round mud hut, which he shares with his mother and five other siblings. With bare feet that look like logs ready for a fireplace in winter and dressed in a torn T-shirt and denim shorts, bloodshot-eyed Majaha is sunning himself by the door of the hut as we enter the unfenced yard. A pathetic and unkempt figure, his weather-beaten features belie his tender age of 13. He stretches out his hand, puts his small finger to his lips and starts counting. "I could have been doing Form One today," he says. Majaha did part of his Standard 1 at Shashe-Mooke Primary School in 1999. "I walked to Shashe-Mooke everyday of the week. It was very far, I got very tired and by the end of the first term I could not go anymore. My parents transferred me to Borolong Primary School in the second term because it was much closer, but I still got very tired and I simply quit going to school," he says woefully. But despite the rigours of walking the seven kilometres, neighbour Wananani Babatshi (10) is still at it, though nowadays he can barely walk to school. Babatshi is doing Standard Three at Shashe Mooke. Today, however, is his day off from school - a holiday - even though it seems as if resting is not on his agenda. His mother has instructed him to look for missing donkeys and he does not know how far he will have to go looking for the beasts. "I am always tired and nowadays I just fail to walk to school daily. I will soon be lodging with some relatives in Shashe-Mooke. I think it will be better," he says holding tenaciously to this glimmer of hope. Obusitswe Mahamba, a parent is proud of her child who has weathered the long walks and cold climate and walked to Shashe-Mooke Primary School for the past seven years. "My girl usually leaves before six in the morning. I would have loved for her to stay in Shashe Mooke, but she refused. My child was born intelligent but the conditions are stressful for her and other children," she says. At Borolong Primary School, teachers lament the poor performance of pupils from Mphane. A teacher, Kemmonye Setso acknowledges that the distance travelled by children every morning affects them physically and mentally. Performance is poor because children do not concentrate much in class. They are always thinking of the long distance they have to travel to and from school. "These children are always late and some only attend classes twice a week. It is very difficult to talk to parents, as they do not even turn up to be briefed about their children's performance at the end of terms. Many of these children drop out at Standard Five. It is quite regretful because some of them are very intelligent. We once had a girl from Mphane who passed with an A Grade. These children are not dull but their opportunities are hindered by their parents. The childrens' performance affects the overall performance of the school and of the area," Setso explains. Borolong Primary School head-teacher, Chikadzi Madzonga echoes Setso's sentiments regarding the poor performance of children from Mphane. But she says it is a fact that these pupils play truant especially in rainy or chilly conditions. At one point the councillor for the area brought some students to school after finding them hiding in a culvert because they were late, she says. As to why they cannot move to Shashe Mooke or Borolong, areas with better facilities and amenities, residents say it would mean leaving their livestock behind unattended. "It would be tantamount to giving our cattle and goats to predators and thieves," says Mahamba. Another resident, Setlaajang Majaha says th ey cannot move even though Tonota Sub-Land Board has tried to convince them to relocate. "We are not willing to move. We were relocated from Shashe-Mooke as it was a grazing area and settled in Mphane. This place is a village even though the land board has not yet given us residential plots. "Mphane is in the map and known as Mphane ward under Shashe-Mooke village. Councillor Alleluya Mathumo and former MP for the area Pono Moatlhodi used to visit this place to hold meetings," says Majaha. When contacted for comment, Tonota Assistant Council Secretary, referred Mmegi to the Central District Council Secretary, who was unavailable for comment.
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