Scores of frustrated parents gathered outside the Gauteng Department of Education offices on Wednesday, as part of the Operation Dudula Movement’s initiative, to voice their growing discontent over the alarming rates of non-placement of their children in schools.

With the academic year already in full swing, parents expressed their concerns about the seemingly sluggish response from the department, fearing that without immediate action, their children could remain out of school for the entire year.

Some of the frustrated parents indicated that they have been forced to skip work to finalise the registration of their Grade 1 and Grade 8 children, who are still without schools.

This is while Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, and his team of MECs in the provincial government took time out of their schedule to conduct a series of back-to-school campaigns across the province.

Lindiwe Mbatha, a concerned parent from Diepkloof, said that despite having applied online in 2025, her Grade 8 child is still without a school.

“This system is forcing us to take our children to private schools, yet we cannot afford private school fees. Even after having done my online application last year. When I got the response from the two schools I had applied to, I was told that the schools had reached their capacity, while the third school said they are still processing the application till today. Schools have re-opened yet my child is still without a school.”

Another dissatisfied parent, Boitumelo Moppi, from Windsor near Cresta, related her ordeal, saying she has been sent from pillar to post even though she started the online application last year.

“I have been told that there is still no space for my Grade 1 child. What makes me angry is that we are being told this even though we did everything to register the child as early as last year, but now they are telling us to wait until January 28. What is going to happen to the child who wants to go to school like all her friends? The situation has become so bad that I am now feeling ill due to the stress of this online application process.” 

Jane Gabela, another concerned parent, said: “I have been forced to skip work today to be here for my child, who has not found a school despite having applied through the online application system. We have been up and down at district offices, but to this day, we are still without a school. I believe this system should be scrapped as it has not achieved what it intended to achieve.” 

Responding to the outcry, departmental spokesperson, Steve Mabona, maintained that it is finalising the placement process and is fully aware of the specific areas that require attention.

“We are finalising that process. We have just 3,000 of those whom we are finalising the process in terms of the placements, we know where we are pressured. That is Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg. Also, we have inner grades that are a challenge.”

Another parent revealed that they have been denied schools that are much closer to their homes, while expected to accept placement at schools more than 20 kilometres away from their neighbourhoods.

“Where I am from in Alberton, the school we applied to is a walk away, while the school we have been offered is more than 20km away. How do you expect us to accept that school? Now we must drive 20km to drop off our child when she could have walked to school,” a frustrated Quinton Lee said.

Thami Madondo, speaking on behalf of Operation Dudula, blamed the situation on the influx of undocumented foreign nationals into the schooling system, with Madondo saying the department is prioritising foreigners.

“The number of children who are yet to be placed is more than 3,000, and we believe that the system itself is not working. We are here to offer solutions to this ongoing problem, which includes the prioritisation of undocumented immigrants at the expense of South Africans. We believe that there has to be a certain criterion for foreigners, which should be according to the BELA Act,” he added.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za

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