Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Michael Waters MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has filed an urgent complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission, as 915 students at Eersterust Secondary School in Tshwane face security threats, asbestos hazards, and collapsing infrastructure. The recent classroom robbery exposes the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) failure to provide a safe learning environment. We will also submit written questions to the department to determine what steps it has taken to address these security and infrastructure issues.
A school representative confirmed to the DA that three intruders reportedly entered a classroom and demanded money from learners and a cellphone from an educator, who refused to surrender it. The Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens were present but failed to deter the intruders. The South African Police Service (SAPS) subsequently responded to the incident. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
It is disturbing that criminals can simply walk into a classroom, intimidate learners and threaten educators while government security personnel are present on the school premises. This incident validates our concerns that, despite their huge cost to taxpayers, the wardens are not fit for purpose.
However, the security crisis is only one part of a much larger disaster at Eersterust Secondary School. On 4 September 2026, the Department of Employment and Labour issued four prohibition notices identifying serious health and safety risks, including asbestos exposure, unsafe classrooms, condemned toilets, and an unsafe kitchen.
More than six weeks later, the GDE has not provided adequate alternative facilities. Nine classrooms accommodate 915 learners, with some reportedly receiving as little as three hours of teaching every second day. The entire brick-and-mortar classroom block has no electricity; each classroom has broken windows, damaged ceilings, and damaged teaching equipment, while approximately 600 learners have gone without their normal cooked meals for more than six weeks.
The Quintile 4 no-fee school has reportedly not received its full first-tranche funding and has waited years to be rebuilt. After blaming delays on municipal approval of building plans, the GDE now claims it has no money, although the plans are reportedly being approved.
We demand that Gauteng MEC for Education, Lebogang Maile, immediately secure the school’s perimeter, provide safe alternative classrooms, commission an independent asbestos assessment, provide compliant temporary toilets, restore daily cooked meals, and produce a funded and time-bound rebuilding plan.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would prevent financial irregularities through stronger oversight, transparent procurement, and accountability for proven wrongdoing, ensuring public funds are spent lawfully, efficiently, and in the best interests of learners and schools.