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The Gauteng Department of Education must intervene immediately to prevent the looming water crisis at Mogale City schools.

Mogale City Local Municipality is on the verge of cutting water to 40 schools in the West Rand because the Education Department has a R3 million outstanding water bill. Several of the schools have not paid their water bill in over three months.

The Secondary School Intervention Programme, intended to improve learner performance, has been negatively affected by water cuts. Toilets are also overflowing and have become dysfunctional.

The municipality has already discontinued water supply to the Department’s Gauteng West district office, forcing some officials to stay at home while winter classes are underway.

This demonstrates the Department’s inability to manage its own financial affairs and to fulfil its mandate of creating an environment conducive to effective teaching and learning.

The Department must correct this situation urgently to ensure that winter classes continue without delay. I will also take the matter up with the Gauteng MEC for Education Barbara Creecy to ensure that the responsible officials are held accountable.