Dear Editor
The shocking conditions uncovered during an oversight visit to Ebhotwe Primary School in Mdantsane reveal a school in total collapse, failing the learners it is meant to serve. Broken toilets, decaying classrooms, unsafe infrastructure, and allegations of mismanagement paint a picture of a school abandoned by leadership and left to rot.
Last week, I, together with Buffalo City Constituency Leader, Leander Kruger MPL, conducted an impromptu oversight inspection at the school following media reports and was confronted with shocking conditions. Ablution facilities were completely non-functional, learners were relieving themselves against fences and in overgrown bushes, and classrooms were in dangerous disrepair, with broken windows, caving ceilings, exposed wiring, and missing chalkboards.
For nearly 500 learners, many of them with special needs, this is their daily reality. Instead of being offered quality education in a safe environment, they are forced into chaos and neglect. Parents in the community are losing trust in the school, while children are left stigmatised and abandoned.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply concerned by the allegations of financial irregularities and the complete breakdown in management at Ebhotwe. We have referred this matter to both the MEC for Education, Fundile Gade, and the Head of Department, Sharon Maasdorp. We have also advised the MEC and HOD to immediately suspend the school principal pending a full investigation.
Evidence gathered during the oversight indicates possible financial mismanagement, including reports of materials purchased but never utilised, and resources that remain unaccounted for. Allegations of cash withdrawals from school accounts, with no corresponding documentation to indicate what the funds were utilised for, have also surfaced. For this reason, the DA demands a comprehensive forensic audit of the school’s finances to ensure accountability and restore trust among staff, parents, and the community.
This oversight has shown that leadership at Ebhotwe has collapsed. Teaching and learning are not taking place, morale among staff is dangerously low, and learners are being failed daily. Teaching and learning had come to a standstill, with sealed workbooks from earlier terms lying unopened and learners left without instruction.
The Department of Education must intervene urgently to restore functionality, repair critical infrastructure, and ensure that consequence management is applied.
The children of Mdantsane cannot be left to suffer in silence. The DA will continue to fight for their right to education, dignity, and a safe learning environment. The people of the Eastern Cape deserve leadership that delivers and a future built on dignity, opportunity, and honest government.
Regards
Horatio Hendricks MPL
DA Shadow MEC for Education