By Odwa Bafana Mkentane
The Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) has accused the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) of not pitching up at a scheduled meeting to resolve the issue of overflowing drains and sewage in the schoolyard at Kuyasa Primary School in Khayelitsha.
Parents in Khayelitsha have kept Kuyasa Primary School closed since Friday, demanding urgent intervention from the WCED overflowing drains and sewage in the schoolyard. A green sewage spill has covered the area near the Grade R classrooms, leaving an overpowering stench and raising serious health concerns among parents.
Khayelitsha Development Forum chairperson Mawande Jara says the problem occurred in 2017, and since then it’s been a recurring problem with a number of interventions that were requested from the Department of Education to fix the situation.
“Unfortunately, that has not been corrected, or a permanent solution at least has not been found in relation to this. Yes, you are correct to say this is posing a danger to kids, especially their health. So this is a matter that we have been trying as a community, we have been intervening on it, trying to convince the Department of Education and the Department of Infrastructure that this matter must be solved as soon as possible because it affects the tuition. Our kids are now out of school for the past four days, and we can tell you that they are losing out on curriculum,” said the Development Forum Chairperson.
“No, look, the Department of Education – I doubt if they take this matter very seriously. I’m sorry to say this because yesterday we scheduled a meeting with them at 12, and they committed, they will come up with a plan, a comprehensive plan, and take committee stakeholders and confidence about the plan they have. But, unfortunately, yesterday they did not pitch to the meeting,” said Jara.
Jara added that the Department of Education does not care about the education of a Black child of a school that is located in a township.
“I don’t think that they take that very seriously, and we must say that we would take offence at this, that shows arrogance and recklessness from the Department of Education’s end. We are really disappointed to an extent. Parents decided that this morning they will take all the kids and make the point that they are going to assemble, and they are going to demand spaces and classrooms in the offices of the Department of Education because that is the only option that they are left with currently in that school. As things stand, the teaching and learning process cannot happen. Yes, so that is why we were saying that if kids have alternatives, they must go to see if the authorities will be able to find a permanent and immediate solution for this. We are really perturbed about it because kids are due for their trial exams, and if they are losing out five days on curriculum, that means that they are not going to perform well in their exams,” he said.
ANC leader in the legislature Khalid Sayed is calling for urgent intervention at Kuyasa Primary School in Khayelitsha, where recurring sewage spills and blockages have created serious health, safety and learning challenges.
“We visited the school on 25 August 2026 and were informed that learners and staff members have reportedly fallen ill, while learner attendance has been negatively affected by the conditions. Parents further informed us that, in order for teaching to continue, learners have at times had to be combined in the school hall, with more than 200 learners being taught together at the same time. This is unacceptable and cannot be regarded as a sustainable learning arrangement.
“The sewer blockage outside the school has also reportedly caused sewage to back up into the school’s plumbing system, leaving toilets in an unhealthy and unsafe condition. Although cleaning has taken place, serious concerns remain about sewage that has soaked into soil, sand and grass areas, which may continue to pose a health risk,” said Sayed.
Sayed says they have written to Education MEC Jaco Londt, calling on him to urgently engage the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation leadership and secure a long-term infrastructure solution.
“Learners cannot be expected to learn in unsafe and undignified conditions. Temporary cleaning is not enough. The government must address the source of this recurring problem and ensure the school is safe. The ANC Caucus has also called for an environmental health assessment of the affected areas,” he said.
Photo: Ezitshisayo Facebook
