By THABO MOTLHABI
ANGRY parents and community members have embarked on a four-day protest over the deteriorating infrastructure at Khulanolwazi Primary School in Braamfischerville, Soweto.
The protests began on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, when frustrated parents and community members gathered at the school to voice their anger over what they described as years of neglect and broken promises by the Department of Basic Education.
Parents say their children have been forced to learn under unacceptable conditions for years, with some temporary classroom structures having been in place since 2002.
According to concerned parents, the school’s infrastructure has deteriorated to a point where many classrooms are no longer suitable for teaching and learning.
They cited broken windows and doors, damaged floors, leaking toilets, broken bucket toilets, leaking pipes, broken basins, leaking taps, urine on damaged floors and poor sanitation.
The school reportedly has 12 flushing toilets, but only two are currently functioning, forcing boys and girls to share the available facilities.
Angry parents also raised concerns about the strong smell of urine on the damaged toilet floors, as well as foul odours caused by blocked and leaking toilets.
The poor conditions have also raised serious concerns about learners’ health.
Frustrated parents say learners are exposed to extreme cold during winter and poor sanitation throughout the year, resulting in some children becoming ill with flu, chronic illnesses and infections.
They say these illnesses place an additional financial burden on families, many of whom depend on social grants to support their households.
The situation became tense on Tuesday morning when angry parents and community members barricaded streets with large rocks and burning tyres to demonstrate their frustration and disappointment.
The school was subsequently shut down and learners were sent home as protesters continued with their demonstration.
Dr Miyola Sesedinyane, an SGB member at Khulanolwazi Primary School, was called in to help calm the situation after some parents attempted to enter the school premises. Police were also called to assist in restoring calm.
“As SGB members, we tried to calm the angry parents and community members with the help of the police. The situation was out of hand, and some parents were at work. We were also concerned about the safety of the learners. Our school infrastructure is in a bad state and we need intervention from officials,” said Dr Sesedinyane.
She further said parents had been promised a formal meeting with relevant stakeholders, where they would prepare a petition and memorandum to be physically submitted to officials, including the Gauteng Education authorities, the Office of the Gauteng Premier and the Department of Basic Education.
“We also sent emails and did everything we could to get their attention and get them to come and account. Parents have been waiting for the school to be rebuilt, or at least for learners to be allocated to nearby schools around the township, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” she said.
Dr Sesedinyane said parents had reached a breaking point after years of what they described as empty promises.
“This has been ongoing for too long, and parents have had enough of empty promises. They want a better future for their learners,” she said.
A concerned parent, Matshidiso Thupa, also expressed her disappointment over the condition of the school and what she described as the continued failure of officials to address the needs of learners.
“Our children are always getting sick due to poor infrastructure, especially during the winter season, and also during summer because of the bad smell from blocked and leaking toilets.
“The school has broken windows, broken doors, damaged floors and urine from the damaged bucket toilets. The sad part is that both boys and girls have to share two toilets out of 12.
“This has led parents to take action through protests to demonstrate their disappointment over the ongoing situation at the school,” said Thupa.
The continued shutdown is raising concerns about the impact on learners’ education, particularly as the academic year approaches its final stages and learners prepare for their final examinations.
Angry parents say they will continue with their protests until the Department of Basic Education and other stakeholders meet with them and provide concrete solutions to the long-running infrastructure crisis at Khulanolwazi Primary School.
