SOWETAN | Power cuts will derail pupils’ future

The decision by the Ekurhuleni municipality to issue electricity disconnection notices to189 schoolsdue to nonpayment by the Gauteng department of education could have a devastating impact on learning. According to Ekurhuleni metro, notices for disconnection were issued for outstanding debt of R109.2m by the department. The disconnection notices are issued as part of the metro’s credit control measures to collect money owed for services for a prolonged period.

Nonpayment of municipal bills by government departments is a particularly worrying trend that hampers municipalities from carrying out the essential work of delivering basic services to communities. Over the years, this trend has become more concerning, with health facilities and schools being threatened with cut-offs because of governance failures at the departmental level. Last year, hundreds of non-fee-paying schools across Gauteng were also issued with threats ofdisconnectionsafter the department stopped paying their water and electricity bills.

The department had instead transferred historical debt amounting to millions of rand into the hands of schools in mostly struggling communities. The impact of the threats by municipalities, if carried out, will mean pupils miss out on valuable learning time, in some instances, simply because of mismanagement by officials at the provincial education department. Disruption of learning has long-term consequences on the academic performance of pupils; as such, the government is duty-bound to prevent this.

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The provincial government must act swiftly to settle all the outstanding accounts to avoid any school losing out on learning time because of electricity disconnection. It is not the schools themselves that have failed to keep up with paying their bills, but the officials who are handsomely rewarded with perks every year. But when services are not paid, it is the pupils who will bear the brunt, not those in positions of authority.

Accountability for this self-created crisis must start at the top with Gauteng MEC for education, Matome Chiloane. Our schools are already overburdened by many problems, including violence, overcrowding, and lack of resources, with no clear solutions. Therefore, having their services disconnected by municipal officials because of historical debt would be unacceptable and extend the suffering experienced by our children.

Water and electricity supply are critical in schools to ensure hygiene and access to learning materials in the age of digital connectivity. Depriving children of these basic and essential services represents a failure to govern.

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