Durban schools face utility disconnections impacting education
Disrupted Education: eThekwini Municipality disconnects water and electricity services to schools over unpaid bills, raising concerns about the impact on students' learning.
Image: file
SEVERAL schools in the eThekwini Municipality have had their water and electricity services disconnected due to unpaid utility bills.
The latest disruption occurred at Assegai Primary School in Wentworth, where the water supply was cut off on Saturday.
Andre de Bruin, the chairperson of the Assegai Primary School Governing Body (SGB), expressed concern over the impact of these disconnections on schooling hours. He noted that Jojo storage tanks are being used temporarily to flush toilets. De Bruin and his team visited the Durban Department of Education (DoE) head office on Tuesday, only to find it closed.
He explained that there is confusion within the municipality regarding the classifications of Section 20 and Section 21 schools. Assegai Primary School is classified as a Section 20(C) school, which means the DoE is responsible for covering all its bills.
To clarify, Section 21 schools receive their per-learner funding directly into their own bank accounts, allowing them to manage their own finances. In contrast, Section 20 schools have their budgets managed by the Provincial DoE.
“Why must we go to the department or the municipality and sign a payment plan when this is not our responsibility? This school is not responsible for the utility bills. The principals, both past and present, were not aware of the bill. The department cannot handle its own funds because it has employed the wrong people in certain positions. They have failed the children,” he said.
In a WhatsApp memo, De Bruin advised parents to ensure that learners carry extra drinking water.
Muzi Mahlambi, the spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal DoE, confirmed that the department is aware of these disconnections.
“They happen despite our engagements with the municipalities for payment arrangements. We also have two head offices that were disconnected,” he stated.
During an Executive Committee (Exco) meeting on Tuesday, the municipality revealed that several schools have approached them to settle outstanding amounts or enter into payment plans. A full report on the disconnections is expected to be presented at the next meeting. The municipality also noted that water supplied to schools via tankers has not been paid for by the DoE.
According to a municipality report on debt collection, the city is owed R43 billion, with government departments accounting for R2 billion of that debt. The bulk of the debt is owed by provincial government departments, totalling R1.6 billion. The DoE (S20 and offices) owes eThekwini R537 million, while Section 21 schools owe R336 million.
Dr Jonathan Annipen, an IFP councillor in eThekwini, voiced his concerns regarding the disconnection of schools in the Phoenix and surrounding areas.
“The city is no longer merely disconnecting electricity and water. It has reportedly resorted to forcibly removing meters, cutting electrical wiring, and deploying heavy machinery to ensure that schools are left completely incapacitated. These actions allegedly involved municipal officials forcibly entering school premises, using bolt cutters and mechanical tools to access meter rooms and remove water meters,” Annipen claimed.
Other schools that have faced disconnections, along with the amounts they owe, include:
- R663,000 - Solomon Mahlangu Primary School in Cornubia
- R79,000 - Ikusaslentsha Primary School in Inanda
- R60,933 - Zeoh Dlomo High School in KwaMashu
- R1.1 million - Ferndale Secondary School in Phoenix
On January 27, 2026, the electricity supply was disconnected at Phoenix Pioneer Primary School, significantly impacting the school's daily operations. Annipen highlighted the challenges faced by this school following the disconnections, which included:
- No ventilation in dangerous heat conditions
- Inability to print or photocopy learning materials
- Risk to the National School Nutrition Programme due to lack of refrigeration
- Inability to safely store diabetic medication for learners and staff
Annipen demanded the immediate reconnection of all disconnected schools and a negotiated payment framework between the municipality and the KZN DoE. “These officials are playing political games with the future of children. Public schools are not bargaining chips. Children’s education is not collateral damage,” he stated.
In correspondence with Annipen, eThekwini City Manager Musa Mbhele explained that the DoE was informed prior to the disconnection, in accordance with municipal credit control and debt collection by-law and policy. He stated that the DoE failed to sign the acknowledgment of debt and enter into a payment agreement with the municipality.
“In the absence of any existing payment plan, the municipality first disconnects the regional offices of the department, and should there be no response to the disconnection, the municipality has no other alternative but to disconnect all services that are not paid for,” Mbhele explained.