Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in English here by Sergio Isa Dos Santos MPL.
Gauteng matriculants deserve to write their final examinations without water and electricity cuts or shortages of desks and chairs undermining years of hard work. The Democratic Alliance (DA) wishes the Class of 2026 every success. We urge Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile to ensure examination centres are ready so learners can write without disruption.
These examinations mark the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance. We commend our matriculants and thank the educators, parents, and support staff who have helped them prepare.
However, unresolved municipal debt, billing disputes and furniture shortages must not jeopardise any learner’s examinations. Last year, the DA exposed water and electricity disconnections that disrupted matric examinations at Gauteng schools. These failures must not be repeated.
MEC Maile must urgently engage with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and all Gauteng municipalities to ensure that no school’s water or electricity is disconnected during this school term, while payment arrangements and billing disputes are being resolved.
The MEC must also ensure that every examination centre has sufficient desks or tables and chairs for every learner scheduled to write. Schools must not repeat previous instances of rotating learners’ examination sittings because of furniture shortages.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to support and reassure their children during this challenging time. Meanwhile, the Class of 2026 is urged to stay focused, believe in themselves, and seek help when needed.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would ensure that every school has sufficient furniture and complete readiness before examinations, address shortages promptly, and coordinate with municipalities to resolve billing disputes and arrears whilst ensuring, through intergovernmental engagements, that no school utility services will be cut.