For more than a week, neither teaching nor learning has taken place at three high schools in Khutsong, a township outside Carltonville, that is pockmarked by sinkholes.

This comes after a section of Relebogile Secondary School was swallowed by a large sinkhole in February. To date, the sinkhole remains, and several others have appeared in the community which falls under the Merafong City local municipality. 

Protests initially started at Relebogile School but pupils from two neighbouring schools have also walked out of classes in solidarity, fearing their schools would be next to be swallowed by a sinkhole. 

Daily Maverick visited the two schools and found pupils roaming around the streets, hanging around parks and some in tuck shops and taverns, while teachers remained on the school premises. Scholar buses parked outside the school were almost empty, with barely 10 pupils inside. 

With Relebogile Secondary School having 1,600 registered pupils, Daily Maverick estimates that nearly 5,000 pupils in Khutsong have been affected.

Learners outside Relebogile Secondary School in Khutsong on 14 March 2023. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Government visit

The protest comes after Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi visited the area and warned the community was at risk of being devastated if the sinkholes were not immediately attended to. 

He admitted that his office had been inundated by calls for assistance and that sinkhole occurrences in the region had left many families displaced, affected the water quality, and damaged infrastructure. 

The situation was so dire that Lesufi declared the Merafong municipality a state of disaster and promised to ask national government to also declare it as such in order to unlock resources to assist the community. He also made mention of it during his maiden State of the Province address, while making a slew of promises.  

Matshawe and Madosini standing in a sinkhole that has damaged houses in Khutsong on 14 March, 2023. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Read more in Daily Maverick: A community at risk of being swallowed by hazardous, neglected sinkholes in Khutsong 

Lesufi’s visit to the area came after the Relebogile school was temporarily closed in February and pupils had been moved to a local primary school where they attended classes for a few hours daily on a rotational basis.  

The arrangement to share a school with primary school learners was initially expected to last two weeks while the education department worked to install 48 mobile classrooms.  

However, according to parents and the school governing body, the department has only delivered 14 empty mobile classrooms and has not communicated with Relebogile school on how it should contend with the shortfall despite schools having reopened on 12 April 2023. 

Mobile classrooms are being erected to accommodate Relebogile Secondary School learners in Khutsong on 14 March 2023. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Community protests

Following the department’s alleged failure to communicate, pupils made the decision to abandon classes and protest. This has coincided with community plans to embark on what they labelled a “mother of all strikes”, which would bring the community to a standstill. 

“The learners, parents and SGBs, took it upon ourselves to say enough is enough. That arrangement of having children attend school for four hours was not working for anybody, hence we decided to return to Relebogile Secondary School to try and put pressure on government to deliver mobile classrooms or reopen the school provided there is a report declaring it safe,” said parent Keneilwe Selepe.   

A cordoned-off sinkhole at Relebogile Secondary School. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Grade 12 pupil and Representative Council of Learners member Konke Moletale confirmed their decision to protest. He said while the protest was necessary, they were saddened it could have a negative impact on pupils’ year-end results. Moletale placed the blame squarely on the Department of Education. 

“This issue is affecting us really badly especially because there are upcoming June examinations and we need to use this term’s results to apply for university placement for next year, so already, we have that fear that we could possibly fail or not meet the requirements and this is all the department’s fault.”    

Keneilwe Selepe, a parent at Relebogile Secondary School in Khutsong on 14 March 2023. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Moletane said if the department does not immediately resolve the issue of either reopening the school or delivering the outstanding mobile classes, then his dream of studying towards a public administration diploma, in order to contribute actively to the country’s political landscape, would be dashed.  

“It will affect us but we have to do it, not just for us, but the pupils after us, who are yet to come to high school.” 

Konke Moletale and his schoolmates at Relebogile Secondary School in Khutsong on 14 March 2023. (Photo:Felix Dlangamandla)

Ripple-effect

A pupil not participating in the protest, but instead hanging around outside one of the schools, said they sympathised with their peers from Relebogile but said it was unfair that no teaching was taking place. “We come to school but we get turned back, that’s why others don’t bother coming anymore.”  

Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson, Steve Mabona told the publication the department was aware of the protest action in the schools and that it was working on a permanent solution.

“The department is aware of the protest action in schools around the Khutsong area. We can also confirm that learners from Relebogile were mainly affected by the situation. Consequently, we intervened and learners were accommodated at a neighbouring school as an interim measure, their classes commence at 12h00 and end at 17h00 to ensure that the said learners are able to catch up with their lessons while waiting for a permanent solution.

“Accordingly, 28 mobile classes were delivered, and as such we are finalising water connectivity. We are also finalising a process to accommodate Grade 12 learners at a camp in due course,” said Mabona. 

Mabona would not go into detail about what the permanent solution would be and when it would be put in place.

Frustration builds   

Chairperson of the school governing body (SGB) at Relebogile, Benny Kekana expressed disappointment at Lesufi’s failure to urgently address the issue of the sinkholes in the area after admitting its urgency while meeting the community. 

Benny Kekana, chairperson of the school governing body at Relebogile Secondary School, in Khutsong on 14 March 2023. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

“We are so disappointed so much that we do not know how to express our frustration. All we have been getting is lip service and empty promises as you can see students marching in the streets,” said Kekana.  

Read more in Daily Maverick: New Centurion sinkhole is one of about 200 recorded across Gauteng in past five years 

Meanwhile, representatives of the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) in the province, who were present at the scene, said they were in solidarity with the protesting pupils.  

Millicent Molantwa, Cosas representative at Relebogile Secondary School. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

“The Department of Education is failing the students, it is depriving them of their right to education, and it’s unacceptable,” said an organisational developer in the province, Millicent Molantwa.  

Molantwa said Cosas was concerned about the plight of affected pupils who were not protesting. “It’s not all the students that are here and because there is no teaching and learning, we are likely to see some of them being lured into committing crime; some fall pregnant because that is the reality in our communities.”   

Municipal youth facilitator Andile Mthembu echoed similar sentiments, saying the pupils would join a “mother of all strikes” which was being planned by the community. Mthembu added their frustration had reached a point of no return.

Andile Mthembu near the mobile classrooms that are being erected to accommodate Relebogile Secondary School learners in Khutsong on 14 March 2023. classes have not resumed since the start of the second term due to a sinkhole. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

“We have reached a boiling point.  We have been patient for long enough; this thing of treating our pupils like pigs ends now.  We are gatvol; we don’t understand why it has to be like this because school results of this school are excellent, we feel we are on our own. We are sinking, we are angry, and now we are going to the streets,” said Mthembu.   

Premier Lesufi’s spokesperson, Vuyo Mhaga said work was underway to assist the community but did not provide specifics: “There is a disaster centre and weekly meetings by Heads of Departments are held in West Rand.” DM