Admin
16 Oct, 2025
Three decades later, the ANC still fails Eastern Cape learners
Statement by Bulelani Bobotyane, Provincial Secretary of the UDM in the Eastern Cape The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in the Eastern Cape condemns the ongoing decay and abandonment of school infrastructure across the province. What we see today is not a sudden crisis but the direct outcome of three decades of neglect under the African National Congress (ANC) government. The ruling party’s failures in planning, oversight and accountability have left thousands of learners without safe and functional schools, while its officials hide behind bureaucracy and empty promises. No one takes responsibility for the hundreds of closed school buildings scattered across the province. Public infrastructure is collapsing while officials pass blame from one department to another. More than a thousand schools have been shut down, many left vandalised and stripped of value, while children in other communities are still learning in structures that are unsafe, overcrowded or falling apart. The tragedy of the Ginsberg Crèche in Qonce, formerly known as King William’s Town, founded by Steve Biko as a living symbol of self-reliance and community dignity, captures the depth of this failure. To allow such a historic and visionary space to decay is an act of utter disrespect, not only to Biko’s legacy but to the children it was meant to serve. A place once built to nurture young minds now lies in ruins, overrun by weeds and indifference. It stands as a monument to how far this province has drifted from its moral duty to protect and educate its children. The UDM in the Eastern Cape calls for the following urgent actions: 1. Eastern Cape Department of Education to conduct a full audit of all closed, abandoned and collapsing schools, publish the findings, and present an infrastructure recovery plan with clear deadlines for refurbishment, reconstruction and security. 2. Provincial Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to take responsibility for maintaining and securing all disused school properties to prevent vandalism, theft and further deterioration. 3. Provincial Treasury to ensure that funds allocated for education infrastructure are ring-fenced and fully spent within the financial year, with public quarterly reports on expenditure and progress. 4. National Department of Basic Education to intervene where provincial capacity has failed through targeted support, technical expertise and oversight to fast-track safe and dignified learning facilities. 5. Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education to institute a formal inquiry into the collapse and abandonment of public-school infrastructure in the Eastern Cape and demand accountability for wasted funds and stalled projects. 6. Communities and School Governing Bodies to guard against vandalism and theft and insist that local schools and historic educational sites such as the Ginsberg Crèche are restored and protected for future generations. The UDM in the Eastern Cape echoes the call to find constructive and community-driven alternative uses for mothballed school buildings so that these spaces can once again serve public good rather than fall into ruin. No province with such deep educational need can afford to lose even a single classroom to incompetence.
Admin
13 Oct, 2025
Growing Minds scandal exposes Western Cape’s education blind spot
Statement by Bulelwa Zondeka, Chairperson of the UDM in the Western Cape The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in the Western Cape is deeply concerned by revelations that the Growing Minds Summerfield campus in Gardens, in the inner-city of Cape Town, has been operating high school grades without proper registration. Parents who enrolled their children in good faith have now discovered that the school’s learners were not recorded on the national Centralised Education Management Information System (CEMIS), and that their children’s matric futures are now in jeopardy. This incident exposes a disturbing failure of governance and oversight within the provincial education system. It is unacceptable that a school could operate for years beyond the grades for which it was registered, without detection or intervention from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). The WCED’s reactive posture, intervening only after parents raised alarm, shows the dangers of a fragmented and complaint-driven regulatory system. The WCED’s official response, which shifts the responsibility onto parents to verify a school’s registration, is wholly inadequate and deeply misleading. The Department claims it “encourages all parents who are considering an independent school to first ensure that the school is registered for the grades offered.” Yet there is no publicly accessible database through which parents can make such verification. Expecting parents to act as investigators while the state withholds basic information is unreasonable and negligent. The fact that Growing Minds expanded from Grade 7 to Grade 11 as far back as 2022, and that the WCED only “became aware” in 2024, speaks volumes about the Department’s weak inspection systems. Oversight that depends on parental complaints rather than proactive monitoring is not oversight at all; it is abdication of duty. The UDM in the Western Cape reiterates that education is not a private enterprise but a public trust. When schools operate outside the law, it is learners and families who pay the price. This incident should be a wake-up call for the province and the nation to strengthen the integrity of our school registration and monitoring systems. The UDM in the Western Cape therefore calls for: 1. A comprehensive investigation by the WCED into how Growing Minds Summerfield was allowed to expand illegally, and whether departmental officials failed in their duties of inspection and enforcement. 2. The urgent creation by the WCED and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) of a public, online national register of all registered schools, clearly indicating accreditation status, curriculum, and approved grades, so that parents can verify information easily. 3. The DBE, as the custodian of CEMIS, to ensure that learner registration on CEMIS is mandatory and enforced in all provinces, with compliance audits conducted quarterly in collaboration with provincial departments. 4. The DBE, Umalusi and provincial education departments to jointly develop a School Closure and Learner Transfer Protocol to protect learners whenever a school’s registration is withdrawn or discontinued. The UDM in the Western Cape believes that quality education begins with strong oversight, transparency, and accountability. The Western Cape prides itself on high standards, yet incidents such as this one reveal an alarming blind spot in the provincial Education Department’s supervision of independent schools. Oversight must be proactive, not reactive. The UDM in the Western Cape calls on Education MEC David Maynier to take full responsibility for addressing these systemic weaknesses and to present to the Provincial Legislature within 30 days a plan outlining measures to prevent a repeat of this scandal. Learners’ futures cannot depend on parental vigilance alone. Education is a constitutional right, not a commercial experiment. We will continue to monitor this case closely and stand with affected parents in demanding justice and reform.
Admin
22 Sep, 2025
Schools must be safe: UDM calls out national scandal of sexual abuse
Statement by Zandile Phiri, Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is outraged and heartbroken by the recent reports of sexual abuse, harassment and misconduct involving educators across our country. In just the past month, cases have surfaced in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State which exposes a deep and systemic crisis in our education system. Recent incidents show the scale of this scourge. In Gauteng, teachers at Tiyelelani Secondary in Soshanguve were removed after protests exposed a pattern of sexual assault, while at Sunward Park High in Boksburg a teacher was dismissed for abusing pupils. In Bronkhorstspruit, a deputy principal faces charges of raping a nine-year-old and was let free on bail. In the Eastern Cape, St John’s College in Mthatha saw mass protests after allegations that teachers impregnated pupils and forced them into abortions, while further cases have surfaced in Dutywa and surrounding schools. In KwaZulu-Natal, teachers at Thubalethu Secondary in Pinetown are under investigation for molesting learners, while in Kokstad a teacher was arrested with weapons and stolen vehicles which raises further questions about vetting and oversight. In the Free State, learners from St Bernard High in Bloemfontein used social media to expose years of harassment by teachers, including explicit images and physical advances. These are not isolated cases. They reveal how schools across South Africa are failing in their most basic duty which is to keep children safe. Too often it has taken pupil protests, community outrage or viral social media posts for authorities to act. This points to a pattern of systemic neglect and silence. The UDM is clear. South African children cannot wait another day for change. We therefore demand urgent interventions. 1. Mandatory reporting of all allegations of sexual misconduct, with consequences for any adult who covers up such cases. 2. Immediate suspension and vetting of accused educators pending investigations, with permanent deregistration for those found guilty. 3. Swift criminal prosecutions that treat these cases with the seriousness they deserve, ensuring perpetrators are jailed and not quietly dismissed. 4. No bail for accused educators or authority figures facing charges of sexual abuse against learners. Allowing them back into communities, places children at further risk and undermines faith in the justice system. 5. Psychosocial support through counsellors and social workers permanently based in schools. 6. Accountability for principals and school governing bodies who fail to act, since inaction enables abuse to continue. Schools must be sanctuaries of learning, not sites of trauma. Our children’s right to safety and dignity is non-negotiable and the UDM will continue to press for systemic reforms to end this national shame.
Admin
24 Apr, 2025
UDM Eastern Cape shocked by sexual abuse cases in our schools; tougher laws and real accountability needed
Statement by Bulelani Bobotyane, Provincial Secretary of the UDM in the Eastern Cape The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in the Eastern Cape is shocked and angered by reports that nearly 30 educators in the Eastern Cape including five principals and two deputy principals, have been implicated in sexual offences involving learners in just the past year. This includes cases of sexual harassment, sexual assault and inappropriate relationships with pupils, many of whom are minors. This is a disgrace and a betrayal of trust by those meant to educate and protect our children. Schools should be safe places for learning and growth, not hunting grounds for sexual predators. The UDM in the Eastern Cape strongly believes that dismissal is not enough, there must be harsher punishments for perpetrators of such crimes. We are calling for urgent legislation that enforces criminal charges, longer prison sentences and permanent blacklisting of any educator or school staff member found guilty of sexual abuse or misconduct. Predators should never be allowed to work with children again, not in schools, not anywhere. It is unacceptable that some educators simply walk away with written warnings, short suspensions or salary deductions. Even more disturbing is that some cases are being withdrawn because victims, often traumatised children are too scared to testify, resulting in abusers escaping justice. We welcome the report by Education MEC Fundile Gade to the Bhisho Legislature, but we demand that this not be the end, the department must work hand in hand with SAPS, the Department of Justice and social workers to ensure every victim is supported and every perpetrator is brought to book. We also urge the South African Council for Educators (SACE) to act decisively in cancelling the registration of these individuals so they can never return to the profession. It is time that we say enough is enough. This is not just a school issue, it is a national crisis. A system that delays justice or allows abusers to slip through the cracks is complicit in harming children. The UDM in the Eastern Cape is committed to defending the rights and dignity of learners across our province. We will continue to advocate for a school environment where trust is protected, justice is swift, and survivors are never left to suffer in silence. This crisis demands bold and urgent action; not only from the department but from society as a whole. Our children deserve better, and we will not rest until the full weight of the law protects them.
Admin
17 Apr, 2025
GDE’s continued failure to place 50 Diepsloot and Riverside learners in schools
Statement by Andile Jabavu, Provincial Secretary of the United Democratic Movement in Gauteng The United Democratic Movement (UDM) expresses concern and frustration over the continued failure by the Gauteng Department of Education to place nearly 50 learners from Diepsloot and Riverside into schools, despite the second term of the academic year already being underway. It is unacceptable that four months into the school year, children are still sitting at home while their right to basic education as enshrined in Section 29 of the Constitution is being denied. According to community reports and confirmation by activist Reginald Lebotse, dozens of learners remain unplaced due to delays in the completion of the Tanganani Primary School a project that was promised to be operational by the end of March 2025. Instead, families continue to face broken promises and vague reassurances. We further note the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) intention to scrutinise the province’s admissions system, especially in areas affected by migration and rapid urban growth. The UDM supports this investigation and urges the SAHRC to prioritise Diepsloot and similar communities in their review. We call on the Gauteng Department of Education to urgently place all unplaced learners in temporary, safe and properly resourced classrooms while awaiting permanent school infrastructure. Provide clear timelines and transparent reporting on the completion of Tanganani Primary School and any other affected infrastructure projects.
Admin
09 Jun, 2020
Schools are going to be major coronavirus transmission centres
Schools opened yesterday and the United Democratic Movement Women’s Organisation (UDEMWO) is outraged at government’s willingness to risk the lives of school pupils and teachers. It was quickly reported that Gauteng alone had 38 schools with coronavirus infections and the Western Cape had 55; which is the epicentre of this deadly enemy at the moment. Three weeks ago, UDEMWO warned the Department of Education not to open schools until it is safe. We have pleaded with Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to act as a parent, yet she chose not to. UDEMWO is aware of a learner at Woodhill College (Pretoria) who tested positive for Covid-19, thus endangering all the came into contact with that learner. We are also in possession of a letter from West Bank High School (East London), where a learner whose parent tested positive and the school was forced to send back home all grade 7 learners until further notice. UDEMWO calls on the Department of Basic Education and the National Coronavirus Command Council to urgently review this decision, even if it means that the current academic year must be revised. South Africa cannot afford this kind of negligence, young lives are at stake and not all immune systems can fight this disease; think of pupils in rural areas where there is no clean water and poor toilet facilities. If schooling continues, the worst is yet to come where coronavirus infections are concerned. Issued by: Ms Thandi Nontenja UDEMWO Secretary General
