Schools in the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) are in a dire state, reflecting the municipality’s overall decay and neglect. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has not provided essential services and support to these schools, compromising the education, safety, and future of the learners.
During our oversight inspection, the Democratic Alliance (DA) found that schools face significant challenges due to inadequate infrastructure, highlighting the GDE’s incompetence and the well-documented deterioration in Emfuleni.
At Golden Gardens Primary School, persistent plumbing issues have left the school with only six functional toilets, while four remain out of order. Despite applying for Section 21 status to have more control over their budget and maintenance, the school has received no response from the department.
Meanwhile, Iphahlolleng Intermediary School is facing significant challenges. The clear view security fence, initiated in the 2022/2023 financial year, remains incomplete. The school has been without electricity for five years, and many classrooms’ ceilings have collapsed. Additionally, the ablution facilities are in disrepair, with broken doors and leaking pipes. These infrastructural defaults are adversely affecting learning conditions and pose serious safety risks to learners and teachers.
See photos here, here, and here.
Tshepong Secondary School, which was only established last year and completed in December 2024 is not yet operational and has not been connected with water and electricity connections. This exposes the department’s poor planning and management.
The poor conditions in these schools highlight a significant failure of governance and neglect for the education and well-being of children in Emfuleni. The GDE cannot continue to overlook the inhumane conditions endured by learners and teachers in these schools.
The DA will urgently submit formal questions to the MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane, demanding immediate interventions to address these critical issues. We will not allow the decay of Emfuleni to extend into our schools and rob our children of a dignified learning environment.