The Gauteng Department of Education has been accused of misleading the public after claiming no schools experienced electricity disconnections, despite official documents showing multiple schools were affected.
The Democratic Alliance has called for a Public Protector investigation into the matter and condemned what it describes as deceptive conduct by the department.
In a written reply to the DA in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, MEC for Education Lebohang Maile confirmed that several schools in the City of Ekurhuleni had their electricity disconnected, some for extended periods.
According to the department’s data, Bedfordview High, Laerskool Welgedacht and Laerskool Morewag experienced electricity disconnections for more than 120 days. The figures show three schools were affected in 2024, rising to 31 schools in 2025. In the first four months of 2026, 16 schools have already been impacted.
Michael Waters, DA Gauteng spokesperson for education, said the department appeared to be concealing poor financial and administrative management. He said this was happening amid mounting municipal debt owed by schools and a 64% cut to allocations for Quintile 5 schools.
“If the department cannot even be honest about whether schools have electricity, how can parents trust it to run the education system?” Waters said.
The crisis has also prompted legal intervention, with the Pretoria High Court granting an urgent interdict on this week ordering the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality to restore electricity to affected schools and interdicting the city from further disconnections.
The application was brought by Laerskool Wierdapark and AfriForum after the municipality disconnected power to several schools over unpaid property rates, despite the schools having paid their electricity bills in full. The court ruled in favour of the schools and ordered costs against the City of Tshwane.
If the department cannot even be honest about whether schools have electricity, how can parents trust it to run the education system?
Maile said he noted and welcomed the court order, which followed ongoing challenges experienced by several schools across the province. He said he was studying the judgment and would issue a comprehensive statement upon completion.
The Solidarity Teachers’ Network has also raised concerns about schools in Pretoria being forced to implement crisis management measures after power was cut due to the department’s failure to pay property tax.
Johan Botha, head of the Solidarity Teachers’ Network, said schools were paying the price for the department’s administrative and financial mismanagement. He said thousands of learners and teachers were directly affected, with basic functions such as digital access, computer administration, communication and security systems compromised.
“Without power, teachers cannot perform their duties properly,” Botha said. “Principals and governing bodies must now implement crisis management measures and do everything possible to enable education to continue under difficult circumstances.”
He said the disconnections disrupted teaching, safety systems, feeding schemes and food preservation. Additional funds must be allocated to generators to alleviate pressure on teachers, he said.
Alana Bailey, AfriForum’s head of cultural affairs, welcomed the “speedy relief” provided by the court, noting the organisation had secured a similar victory in 2009.
The Freedom Front Plus described the disconnections as “reckless and inhumane” and said it had engaged with Maile on the matter.
School governing bodies are responsible for electricity and water bills, but property rates are the obligation of relevant authorities such as the Gauteng Department of Education.
The Teachers Network said it is working with partners within the broader Solidarity Movement to find solutions to the immediate electricity supply crisis.
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