Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite by Michael Waters MPL in English here.
Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) formally submitted a petition signed by more than 16,000 Gauteng residents to the Gauteng Education Portfolio Committee, calling on the Gauteng Provincial Government to immediately reverse the devastating 64% budget cuts to Quintile 5 public schools.
Members of the Education Portfolio Committee must, in terms of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature petition processes, assess the harmful effects of these cuts on schools, learners and parents across Gauteng.
The DA launched the petition in January 2026 after visiting multiple schools in Gauteng and discovering that these budget reductions are already having devastating consequences for schools. Across Gauteng, schools are battling to keep the lights on, maintain basic infrastructure, pay for municipal services, repair toilets, provide learner support programmes and sustain extracurricular activities.
School principals and governing bodies have also told us that the situation is becoming financially unsustainable, with schools overwhelmed by rising municipal costs as the Gauteng Department of Education continues to underfund schools and shift more responsibility onto parents and local communities.
In the petition, the DA calls on the Gauteng Department of Education and the Gauteng Provincial Government to immediately:
• reverse the 64% cuts to Quintile 5 school budgets;
• protect school funding from further reductions;
• prioritise frontline education spending over wasteful expenditure; and
• engage meaningfully with schools, parents and communities regarding the financial crisis facing schools.
This is not just another petition. It is a direct message from parents, learners, teachers, and residents across Gauteng who are refusing to stand by while the Premier Panyaza Lesufi-led government pushes schools deeper into crisis.
This is one of the largest petitions ever handed over in Gauteng and reflects the growing public anger towards these cruel and reckless cuts. The people have spoken, and their message is clear: reverse the cuts now!
It is unacceptable that the Gauteng Provincial Government expects schools and parents to absorb the damage while ordinary families are already struggling with a severe cost-of-living crisis. These cuts are not abstract numbers on a spreadsheet; they directly affect classrooms, learner safety, educational quality, and the future of children.
The DA’s track record shows it is the only party capable of resolving the financial crisis engulfing the Gauteng education system through sound financial management. Under our governance, fee-exempt schools and parents will be protected, and government waste, bloated bureaucracy, and failed priorities will be eliminated.
The education of our children is non-negotiable – it is a right that must be protected at all costs.