ActionSA is deeply concerned by the unsafe and deteriorating conditions at Mzinti Primary School in Mpumalanga, which were observed during an oversight visit conducted by the Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Education on Friday, 13 February 2026.
Mzinti Primary School is an old establishment built in 1942, with one of its blocks constructed by community members. The school consists of 18 classrooms, one of which has been converted into a staff room. These structures are no longer fit to accommodate learners and educators safely. Everyday teaching takes place under the constant fear that ceilings or walls could collapse, particularly during windy and rainy conditions.
Despite the efforts of the School Governing Body (SGB), which has attempted to carry out minor repairs using limited departmental maintenance funds, the condition of the school remains structurally unsafe. While the intervention by the circuit manager led to the installation of six mobile classrooms in November 2024, which has helped alleviate overcrowding, this measure is clearly insufficient to address the scale of the infrastructure crisis at the school.
The situation worsened significantly following the January 2026 storms, which blew off the rooftops of four additional classrooms. Fortunately, the storm did not occur during school hours. Had it done so, learners could have been seriously injured or even killed. Since then, parts of the school have become completely unsafe for teaching and learning.
The SGB has formally appealed to the Department of Education to demolish the existing unsafe structures and replace them with permanent, modern classrooms that are safe, dignified, and suitable for learning. This call is both reasonable and urgent.
Beyond infrastructure decay, the school faces multiple challenges, including:
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Overcrowding due to insufficient classrooms, which undermines effective teaching and learning;
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A lack of ICT resources;
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Persistent crime, theft, and burglary;
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Insufficient parental support; and
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A shortage of learning and teaching support materials (LTSM), including desks and chairs.
ActionSA maintains that learner safety is non-negotiable. No child should be expected to learn in an environment where their life is placed at risk due to government neglect. Temporary solutions such as mobile classrooms cannot replace the state’s obligation to provide permanent, safe, and dignified school infrastructure.
ActionSA therefore calls on the Mpumalanga Department of Education to:
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Immediately assess and decommission unsafe structures at Mzinti Primary School;
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Fast-track the demolition and rebuilding of permanent classrooms;
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Address overcrowding through long-term infrastructure planning; and
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Ensure that schools in rural and under-resourced areas are prioritised in infrastructure budgets.
Education infrastructure is not a luxury, it is a constitutional responsibility. Government failure in this regard places learners in harm’s way and erodes confidence in the public education system.
Unsafe School Infrastructure Is a Direct Threat to Learner Safety: ActionSA Calls for Urgent Intervention at Mzinti Primary School
ActionSA is deeply concerned by the unsafe and deteriorating conditions at Mzinti Primary School in Mpumalanga, which were observed during an oversight visit conducted by the Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Education on Friday, 13 February 2026.
Mzinti Primary School is an old establishment built in 1942, with one of its blocks constructed by community members. The school consists of 18 classrooms, one of which has been converted into a staff room. These structures are no longer fit to accommodate learners and educators safely. Everyday teaching takes place under the constant fear that ceilings or walls could collapse, particularly during windy and rainy conditions.
Despite the efforts of the School Governing Body (SGB), which has attempted to carry out minor repairs using limited departmental maintenance funds, the condition of the school remains structurally unsafe. While the intervention by the circuit manager led to the installation of six mobile classrooms in November 2024, which has helped alleviate overcrowding, this measure is clearly insufficient to address the scale of the infrastructure crisis at the school.
The situation worsened significantly following the January 2026 storms, which blew off the rooftops of four additional classrooms. Fortunately, the storm did not occur during school hours. Had it done so, learners could have been seriously injured or even killed. Since then, parts of the school have become completely unsafe for teaching and learning.
The SGB has formally appealed to the Department of Education to demolish the existing unsafe structures and replace them with permanent, modern classrooms that are safe, dignified, and suitable for learning. This call is both reasonable and urgent.
Beyond infrastructure decay, the school faces multiple challenges, including:
ActionSA maintains that learner safety is non-negotiable. No child should be expected to learn in an environment where their life is placed at risk due to government neglect. Temporary solutions such as mobile classrooms cannot replace the state’s obligation to provide permanent, safe, and dignified school infrastructure.
ActionSA therefore calls on the Mpumalanga Department of Education to:
Education infrastructure is not a luxury, it is a constitutional responsibility. Government failure in this regard places learners in harm’s way and erodes confidence in the public education system.