ActionSA Appalled at Non-Fee-Paying School Forced to Pay R8 000 on Fuel for Electricity
Press Statement by Cllr. Themba Mabunda
ActionSA Joburg Regional Secretary
ActionSA is appalled that Julius Sebolai Primary School in Bram Fischerville, Soweto – a non-Section 21 school – is forced to spend R8 000 every two days just to keep lights on at the school.
The Gauteng Education Department’s failure to pay Eskom has led to the school being forced to operate on expensive diesel generators. Not only do the gas emissions from these generators pose a health risk to learners and educators, but at R8 000 for diesel every second day, it places significant strain on the school’s budget – money that should be redirected on other educational needs to further the learners’ education.
Education MEC Matome Chiloane stated last year that schools owed municipalities over R262 million
(R69 million by non-Section 21 and R192 million by Section 21) for services rendered, whilst Premier Panyaza Lesufi called on municipalities to cut services to schools in debt. This call seems quite disingenuous considering that the R69 million owed to municipalities should be settled by the very same government that Lesufi leads. The unfortunate outcome is that schools, and by extension learners and educators, now must bear the brunt of the misalignment between and inadequacies of the municipalities and provincial governments – a continuation of inefficient cooperative governance.
ActionSA strongly urges the GED and the municipalities to immediately have honest discussions that seek to find viable solutions that will be beneficial to learners’ as well as educators’ educational needs and well-being. An action plan needs to be urgently implemented to address the issue of non-payment to Eskom by all stakeholders.
It is crucial for the Department to prioritize school funding and ensure that educational activities are not disrupted
ActionSA Appalled at Non-Fee-Paying School Forced to Pay R8 000 on Fuel for Electricity
ActionSA is appalled that Julius Sebolai Primary School in Bram Fischerville, Soweto – a non-Section 21 school – is forced to spend R8 000 every two days just to keep lights on at the school.
The Gauteng Education Department’s failure to pay Eskom has led to the school being forced to operate on expensive diesel generators. Not only do the gas emissions from these generators pose a health risk to learners and educators, but at R8 000 for diesel every second day, it places significant strain on the school’s budget – money that should be redirected on other educational needs to further the learners’ education.
Education MEC Matome Chiloane stated last year that schools owed municipalities over R262 million
(R69 million by non-Section 21 and R192 million by Section 21) for services rendered, whilst Premier Panyaza Lesufi called on municipalities to cut services to schools in debt. This call seems quite disingenuous considering that the R69 million owed to municipalities should be settled by the very same government that Lesufi leads. The unfortunate outcome is that schools, and by extension learners and educators, now must bear the brunt of the misalignment between and inadequacies of the municipalities and provincial governments – a continuation of inefficient cooperative governance.
ActionSA strongly urges the GED and the municipalities to immediately have honest discussions that seek to find viable solutions that will be beneficial to learners’ as well as educators’ educational needs and well-being. An action plan needs to be urgently implemented to address the issue of non-payment to Eskom by all stakeholders.
It is crucial for the Department to prioritize school funding and ensure that educational activities are not disrupted