Floods, administrative issues, and incomplete building construction have disrupted the first day of school, as some pupils could not set foot in the classroom yesterday.
While millions of pupils resumed their 2026 curriculum calendar across the country, some were turned away as their names did not appear on the school register; while worried parents in Limpopo and Mpumalanga chose to keep their children at home after inclement weather that left flooded roads and bridges.
The heavy downpour in two provinces has been causing havoc for weeks, which led to panic ahead of the school reopening yesterday, with Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba declaring it a disaster that needs national government support to rescue.
This has led to schools in most affected areas in the Vhembe and Mopani districts delaying the reopening to next Monday.
Airlink has suspended all flights to and from Hoedspruit, Limpopo.
At Luaname Primary School in Mianzwi Village, in Thohoyandou, there were no teachers or pupils yesterday morning. Mkhesani Chauke, a cleaner at the school, was seen sweeping water that had seeped into a classroom overnight.
She told Sowetan it was going to be impossible for pupils to get to school due to widespread flooding that raised water on bridges and paths the use. “Maybe on Monday when the water has lowered, schools will be opened,” Chauke said.
“I’m happy the teachers took the decision, because it is not safe for small kids to cross rivers in such conditions. Some teachers stay far from the school and the villages where they stay are also experiencing flooding. I hope the rain can stop this week, so that next week our kids can start with learning.”
The SA Weather Service has, however, warned the rain will persist in the area until tomorrow.
“We are facing a state of disaster in several districts of our province, necessitating an urgent and coordinated response involving both provincial and national government resources,” said Ramathuba, adding that a few fatalities have been reported since December.
“We have mobilised rescue teams and advise that learners in severely impacted areas not be compelled to attend school until support is ensured.”
Meanwhile, in Mpumalanga, the department of education called an urgent meeting with district directors and circuit managers yesterday afternoon to assess the damage, which affected the northern parts of the province.
“Our children in most schools have attended classes and are learning, but we know some learners in other areas could not due to different reasons associated with the persistent rain. That is why we are now meeting with all circuit managers to look for solutions that will safeguard teaching and learning,” said education department spokesperson Jasper Zwane.
Bongani Mngomezulu, a parent from Mkhondo, said he could not risk his children going to school. “From my house, my children would have to cross a mini bridge that is underwater. So, really, I had to stop them from attending school today. I cannot risk their lives,” he said.
Sizwe Ngomane from Langeloop in Nkomazi said his children go to school on the other side of the village, and the bridge linking the two villages was flooded. He too stopped his children from going to school.
In Mbombela, some pupils could not go to school due to damaged roads.
Western Cape department of education spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said more than 10,000 pupils had not been placed by yesterday. “This is a challenging task, as hundreds of new applications are arriving each week,” he said.
Gauteng experienced administrative issues which have affected about 2,900 grade 1 and 8 pupils from attending class, as they were still to be placed in schools.
Parents arrived as early as 7.30am at Diepsloot Combined School, some to make enquiries about placements. The principal opened the gates a about 8am but allowed only pupils to enter, instructing all parents and guardians to return at 2pm when the school is out for the day.
According to parents, the principal refused to engage with them, saying his “customers are inside the schoolyard” and parents should leave immediately, regardless of whether they needed to submit stationery, fix placement issues or escort their children to their classrooms.
However, a few minutes later, the principal chased away all the pupils whose names did not appear in the list of approved pupils – an action that left parents frustrated and confused.
The SA Human Rights said it will engage the department to ensure the delays are resolved and better communication systems were put in place.
Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane said they had planned to have the unplaced pupils hosted at different schools in the interim while they await the completion of new schools and the acquiring of mobile schools by the end of February.
“We expect to complete this entire process within the next 10 days, and we have given ourselves that timeframe to finalise the placement of all learners… In the next three to six weeks, we expect to have around five new schools by the end of the process,” he said.
In KwaZulu-Natal, DA MPL Sakhile Mngadi said: “We are not aware of any schools that have not opened yet; however, many still haven’t received norms and standards payments, nutrition supplies and stationery.” – Additional reporting Herman Moloi
Sowetan
