The South African Department of Basic Education has revealed that at least 397 public schools experienced prolonged or complete interruptions to their electricity supply between April 2024 and March 2026. This information was disclosed by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube in response to a parliamentary question. The question was posed by EFF MP Laetitia Arries, who sought to understand the extent of the issue and the interventions being implemented to restore reliable power to affected schools.
The Eastern Cape province was disproportionately affected, with 324 schools reporting prolonged or complete electricity interruptions during the two-year period. Other provinces also experienced significant disruptions, including Gauteng with 19 affected schools, and the Free State, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal, which each recorded 13, 13, and 12 affected schools, respectively. Limpopo and the Northern Cape each had five affected schools, as did the Western Cape, while only one school in the North West was affected.
The Department of Basic Education emphasized that the figure of 397 represents schools reported by provincial education departments as having experienced interruptions during the reporting period, not individual outage incidents. Additionally, this number does not imply that all 397 schools were still without electricity when the parliamentary response was issued. The department noted that the nature and duration of outages varied significantly among schools and provinces.
The causes of the electricity interruptions were diverse, including infrastructure failures, damaged transformers, vandalism, and theft. Other factors contributing to the outages included interruptions to external electricity supplies, billing disputes, and schools sharing transformers with surrounding communities. Provincial education departments have been working to address these issues through various interventions.
In response to the challenges, provinces have implemented several measures to mitigate the impact of power outages on schools. These include installing solar panels at some schools and providing generators where feasible, while permanent electricity supplies were restored or alternative solutions were implemented. Provincial departments have also engaged with municipalities, Eskom, and other electricity providers to repair damaged infrastructure, restore supplies, and resolve billing disputes.
The Department of Basic Education highlighted that the Regulations Relating to Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure require every public school to have an appropriate power supply that complies with applicable laws and is sufficient for its needs. Permitted power sources include grid electricity, generators, solar, and wind power. While the department sets national infrastructure norms and monitors compliance, provincial education departments are responsible for planning, implementing, and maintaining school infrastructure.
The time required to restore or stabilize electricity supplies depends on several factors, including the cause of the interruption, the electricity provider involved, conditions at the school, and the availability of infrastructure and funding. The department assured that provinces would continue to engage with municipalities, Eskom, and other electricity providers where problems arose within external electricity supply systems to ensure that schools receive a reliable power supply.
Key points
- The Eastern Cape province accounted for the majority of affected schools, with 324 reporting prolonged or complete electricity interruptions.
- The causes of electricity interruptions varied, including infrastructure failures, vandalism, and billing disputes.
- Provinces have implemented measures such as installing solar panels and providing generators to mitigate the impact of power outages on schools.
