Ekurhuleni schools confirmed to have spent weeks without electricity

There are schools in Ekurhuleni that have gone without electricity for more than 300 days over the past three years. Ekurhuleni schools owe a combined R81.9 million in municipal arrears, with 36 schools having gone at least a handful of days in the dark due to municipal disconnections. The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) recently confirmed the number of schools that had their electricity supply cut.

In a written response to a question posed in the provincial legislature, the department stressed that while electricity supply was cut, no disruptions to water supply were experienced by any school over the period in question. The department explained that it had queried the schools’ municipal accounts and had engaged with the municipality on payment plans. The GDE earlier this year denied that any schools had had their electricity cut, but a legislative response signed off by MEC Lebogang Maile on 23 April revealed the extent of the problem.

Ekurhuleni has 20 schools that went between three and 19 days without electricity due to municipal disconnections in 2024, 2025 or 2026. The GDE’s response stated that 13 schools had gone 20 or more days without power in any one of those three years, with three other schools severely affected. Bedfordview High, Laerskool Welgedacht and Laerskool Morewag all went more than 120 days without power in both 2024 and 2025, and have exceeded 69 days without power in 2026 so far.

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DA Gauteng spokesperson for education, Sergio Dos Santos, condemned theGDEand stated that his party would request an investigation by the Public Protector. Dos Santos highlighted that the situation was worsening, with the number of schools increasing from three in 2024 to 31 in 2025, and 16 already affected in 2026.

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