The Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, appeared before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education this week, reaffirming her department’s commitment to delivering safe, dignified school infrastructure across South Africa.
Gwarube outlined key progress made under the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) and other programmes, including the replacement of 331 schools built from inappropriate materials, clean water connections to 1,336 schools, electrification of 373 schools, and the provision of new sanitation to over 1,000 schools. The Minister also confirmed that 96% of pit toilets targeted under the SAFE initiative have been eradicated.
Despite these strides, she acknowledged the scale of the work still ahead, like the significant infrastructure backlog.
Gwarube also played open cards explaining that over 8,200 schools are in need of additional classrooms and more than 13,000 requiring toilets.
“We are not only correcting past doings, but laying the foundation for a system that prioritises, dignity, equity and resilience. We owe it to this generation and the next,” she said.
Andre de Bruyn, chairperson of the Educators Union of South Africa (EUSA), praised the gains but warned the figures don’t reflect the daily realities. “Overcrowded classrooms with 40 to 50 learners, poor sanitation, and under-maintained facilities are still the norm in many under-resourced schools,” he said. “Teachers are stretched beyond their roles, coping not only with education but also safety, hygiene, and the emotional toll on learners.”
“The shortage of adequate sanitation facilities and the need for additional toilets in over 13,000 schools directly affects the dignity, health, and attendance of learners, especially girls. In many rural and township schools, teachers are also burdened with managing safety and hygiene concerns—tasks that fall outside their professional role but become necessary due to the lack of support staff or functioning facilities.
“Furthermore, the shortage of classrooms and poor maintenance often leads to unsafe or unsuitable learning conditions, contributing to teacher stress, emotional burnout, and high absenteeism.
“Teachers in these communities are not only delivering the curriculum—they are also managing overcrowded spaces, dilapidated infrastructure, and the psychosocial needs of learners in crisis. The emotional toll this takes is significant.”
He said while the Western Cape, is often better resourced than some provinces, it still harbours deep inequalities.
“Schools in historically disadvantaged areas continue to wait for upgrades while competing with affluent areas for a share of the limited infrastructure budget. Without urgent investment, the current backlog of R124 billion will continue to widen the gap between privileged and underprivileged learners, further entrenching inequality in our education system.It is clear that while progress has been made, it is not yet transformative.
“Targeted investment in infrastructure—particularly in poorer communities—is not only a matter of service delivery, but a matter of educational justice.”
In the Western Cape, opposition leader Khalid Sayed criticised the Minister’s depiction of progress.
“The reality on the ground with regards to the Western Cape is not as the National Minister has pointed out. We’ve got a major infrastructure backlog at our schools in the province.
“The extreme prevalence of asbestos schools is a major feature of schools in the Western Cape. You’ve still got schools where basic issues such as sanitation have not yet been attended to. Ailing infrastructure is not attended to.
“While there are certain improvements, yes, we will admit to it, but there is much more room for improvement. So the national minister must not try to just draw a outlook that papers over the cracks. We are asking the national minister to be honest in her analysis so that it’s easier to actually remedy the situation.”
Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), presented a more robust defence. “Our core challenge is not backlogs in basic services, but a surge in learner numbers. All of our schools have electricity, water and sanitation—there are no pit toilets in the province,” Hammond said.
She noted the WCED will spend R2.862 billion on school infrastructure this year. “Through our Rapid School Build programme, we’ve completed 15 new schools and plan to finish 29 more over the next three years. We’re targeting communities under the greatest pressure, including Delft, Atlantis, and Lwandle.”
Regarding national infrastructure funding rules, Hammond added: “We’ve consistently met the 60% maintenance allocation requirement on the Education Infrastructure Grant. Our province also received R2.5 billion through the Budget Facility for Infrastructure, which we’re using to build new schools.”
She emphasised innovation, pointing to a partnership with Wesgro through the Edu Invest platform to attract private sector funding and support the growth of both public and private schools.
Weekend Argus
