By Johnathan Paoli
Funds have been allocated to all schools across Gauteng for the payment of their municipal utility bills, following months of crisis that left hundreds of schools in darkness and without water.
Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane said the money was transferred at the end of last month to schools identified as owing municipalities for services such as electricity and water.
“No public school in Gauteng is currently, or will ever be, disconnected from water and electricity services now and in the near future. Schools must work hand in hand with the department to continue achieving this by ensuring their municipal accounts are up to date at all times,” Chiloane said.
Schools and their School Governing Bodies (SGBs) are now responsible for ensuring that these accounts are settled promptly to avoid further disruptions.
The announcement comes amid growing pressure on the department following revelations that over 500 schools had experienced disconnections in 2025 due to unpaid municipal bills totalling more than R58 million.
The crisis came to light when schools in Tshwane, including areas like Hammanskraal, Winterveldt, Ga-Rankuwa, Laudium, Temba and Mabopane were left without power and water.
Many are no-fee schools serving disadvantaged communities, raising questions about the provincial government’s policy to shift financial responsibility to schools already struggling with resource constraints.
According to official responses tabled in the provincial legislature, a staggering 536 schools experienced utility disconnections this year alone.
A total of 293 schools were without services for 30 days or more; 250 schools had disconnections lasting between seven and 18 days, and 16 schools had all municipal services cut simultaneously.
The lack of power and water severely disrupted teaching and learning.
Democratic Alliance education spokesperson Sergio dos Santos said that in some cases, schools were forced to close or send learners home due to unsafe and unhygienic conditions.
“This made it impossible to provide lighting in classrooms, power educational technology and maintain hygiene and safety standards. The utility crisis has serious implications for learners’ dignity, health, and access to quality education,” Dos Santos said.
The department reiterated that under Section 21 of the South African Schools Act, schools with financial management capacity received their operational funding directly and were responsible for settling their own bills.
Over the past five years, 2034 schools in Gauteng have been granted such autonomy.
The department noted that it provided oversight and financial training to schools and SGBs and had previously settled some of the debts directly, including in April, when several schools in Ekurhuleni had their electricity restored following departmental intervention.
Despite this, the DA and school communities have raised concerns over whether many schools, especially no-fee institutions, are adequately equipped to handle these responsibilities, especially without regular support from the department.
The DA has been vocal in its criticism, accusing the department of evading responsibility and jeopardising learners’ constitutional right to basic education.
The party is demanding that the department reverse its decision to shift utility payment responsibilities to no-fee schools and establish an intergovernmental task team to monitor billing and prevent future disconnections.
“The department’s evasive approach and failure to answer key questions in the legislature is unacceptable. The situation demands urgent intervention and transparency,” Dos Santos said.
Among the hardest-hit schools are Fleurhof Primary, which reportedly owes R3.8 million, Fusion Secondary in Lotus Gardens, which owes R1.9 million, and Soshanguve South Primary, with a bill of R1.6 million.
These are all Section 21 schools, meaning they manage their own budgets and are legally required to settle their municipal accounts.
While the department has stated that all schools have received the necessary funds, concerns remain over whether these schools can recover quickly enough to restore a stable learning environment.
The department anticipates that all schools will be up to date with payments by the end of the month, but evidence of full compliance is yet to be made public.
It confirmed ongoing engagements with municipalities to prevent future disconnections and ensure smoother cooperation moving forward.
“We call on parents, communities and stakeholders to support schools and their SGBs in executing their duties not just responsibly, but to the benefit of all learners, educators and staff,” Chiloane said.
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