300 Schools Fail Billing Test

Utility Crisis: Nonpayment Results in Disconnections of Water and Electricity

- Jarryd Westerdale

Schools throughout Gauteng have experienced multiple days without electricity and water in the first half of the year.

Schools responsible for paying their own municipal bills defaulted to the tune of millions, leaving thousands of classrooms dark.

Many of those affected are no-fee paying schools, with some questioning the wisdom of giving them the responsibility of covering their own bills.

The financial situation at the schools was shared in a written response to an issue raised by the DA shadow MEC for education, Sergio dos Santos.

A list provided by Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane's office showed that 536 schools endured some sort of billing-related disconnection this year.

Of those, 293 were for a period of at least 30 days, while another 250 experienced disconnections lasting between seven and 18 days.

Four of the schools had their water disconnected for periods between 10 and 27 days, with the remaining schools having had their electricity disconnected.

There were 16 schools that had their water, electricity, waste and sewerage services disconnected simultaneously.