Public school infrastructure woes continue

At the beginning of 2025, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) undertook a monitoring project of public schools in all nine provinces.

The commission monitored 150 schools that face historic service delivery issues and are commonly under-resourced.

SAHRC Limpopo Provincial Manager Victor Mavhidula highlights the key areas of concern.

"It's the issue of infrastructure that is very concerning... the issue of the nutrition programme, the issue of staff shortages in some of the schools, and the issue of water and sanitation in most schools that were visited."

Mavhidula says these are the same issues that the SAHRC has been raising with the Department of Basic Education since 2013, but there has been very little progress.

"Some of our learners are learning in classrooms where there are no windows, the ceilings are collapsing, the roofs are not there... there are so many issues."

The Department of Basic Education has been given the SAHRC's report, and requested to respond with an action plan to address the issues within the next three months. 

To listen to Mavhidula in conversation with Kgomotso Modise in for 702's John Perlman, click the audio below: