Zandile Bangani

@agirliesgirl

Zandile Bangani was born and raised in Cape Town. She writes about matters pertaining to education and is committed to improving the level of education available to working-class and impoverished families.

Stories by: Zandile Bangani

• Features
Making maths fashionable, the Mthethwamatics way
Mathematics education is in a dismal state, but one non-profit aims to improve access to the subject for teachers and learners – and by extension South Africa’s performance in the subject.
By: Zandile Bangani
28 Sep 2021

• News
Eradicating pit toilets is but a first step
These dangerous and insanitary latrines at schools should be replaced by clean and safe bathrooms that also cater to the needs of girls who’ve reached puberty.
By: Zandile Bangani
22 Sep 2021

• News
Struggling special-needs school dealt a double blow
The Golden Steps school in KwaZulu-Natal lost not only its computer room and kitchen, but also some of its children’s means to communicate and learn a skill that grants them independence.
By: Zandile Bangani
9 Sep 2021

• News
Long arm of the riots still affecting health sector
The tumult in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng has forced people to go without chronic medication and check-ups, caused shortages at the blood bank and disruptions in the vaccine roll out.
By: Zandile Bangani
4 Aug 2021

• Features
The heartbreak behind children leaving school
A young boy’s education is stopped when it has barely started, all because he’s from an impoverished family who hardly survived even before Covid-19 brought added burdens.
By: Zandile Bangani
23 Jul 2021

COVID-19
• News
Preschool teachers decry not getting Covid-19 jabs
While those who fall under the basic education department get priority vaccinations, early childhood development practitioners are treated as if they – and their young charges – do not matter.
By: Zandile Bangani
6 Jul 2021

• Sport
Government drops the ball with sport in rural areas
The lack of adequate sporting facilities and financial support to participate in tournaments does not only limit children’s athletic potential, it also affects their relationship with sport.
By: Zandile Bangani
24 Jun 2021

• News
Eviction blame-game not helping Makhanda students
Landlords turfed out 45 students for not paying rent. The evictees accuse their college of rendering them ineligible for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme but the college disagrees.
By: Zandile Bangani
14 Jun 2021

• Features
Government neglects children with additional needs
The Nofezile Special Care Centre creates jobs and cares for children with physical and mental health impairments, but it does so in a hand-to-mouth way, limiting its potential.
By: Zandile Bangani
17 May 2021

• News
‘Victimised’ for campus protest
South West Gauteng College has forced students to sign affidavits saying they will not participate in any more protests while preventing another protester from registering for the 2021 academic year.
By: Zandile Bangani
7 May 2021

COVID-19
• News
School closures pose a big threat to learning gains
The pandemic meant children spent little time in the classroom in 2020, threatening proper development of numeracy and reading skills crucial to the foundation phase of a learner’s development.
By: Zandile Bangani
20 Apr 2021

• News
A luta continua: students fight financial exclusion
A combination of the effects of the pandemic, irregular expenditure and budget cuts mean prospective students are being stopped from registering for the 2021 academic year.
By: Zandile Bangani
31 Mar 2021

• News
Wits protest: ‘There was no threat to shoot’
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate is examining police violence at a student protest in Braamfontein that led to the fatal shooting of Mthokozisi Ntumba.
By: Zandile Bangani
11 Mar 2021

COVID-19
• News
Will learners and teachers make up lost time?
Impoverished pupils attending under-resourced schools were unable to learn properly for much of 2020. The education department needs to do more to counter the learning gap caused by Covid-19.
By: Zandile Bangani
18 Feb 2021

• News
Bitter lesson for educational assistants
The Department of Basic Education’s initiative to create employment for the youth has been blighted by late payments and a lack of communication.
By: Zandile Bangani
18 Feb 2021

COVID-19
• News
Taking those first steps at school in a pandemic
Parents grapple with mixed feelings of uneasiness and excitement as their children get ready for “big” school while the Covid-19 pandemic wreaks havoc.
By: Zandile Bangani
12 Feb 2021

COVID-19
• Features
Ncumisa Mkabile’s leap of faith reaps rewards
The self-taught farmer bounced back from losing her business during the Covid-19 lockdown to start another one, in a field she didn’t know. She now employs seven people in Khayelitsha.
By: Zandile Bangani
4 Jan 2021

COVID-19
• News
Threat to early childhood development sector
A number of early childhood development centres have been forced to close because of Covid-19, resulting in a bleak present and future for the many children who depend on them.
By: Zandile Bangani
24 Nov 2020

• Features
Education department accused of favouritism
A teaching graduate whose studies were not funded by the Funza Lushaka bursary programme says he is being excluded from jobs at state schools because he was not part of the scheme.
By: Zandile Bangani
17 Nov 2020

• Features
The vital role of South Africa’s community libraries
As public spaces where people can learn, especially in impoverished rural areas, they are a precious resource. But budget cuts are limiting their number and what they can offer.
By: Zandile Bangani
6 Nov 2020

• Features
Enlarging the lives of Khayelitsha’s children
A community-based and volunteer-run after-school programme in Khayelitsha is supporting working parents by providing a safe space for their children to do their homework and have fun.
By: Zandile Bangani
15 Oct 2020