The DA has intensified its criticism of the Gauteng government over electricity disconnections at schools in Eden Park, accusing the province of failing to adequately fund schools after transferring responsibility for municipal accounts back to them.

DA councillor Tiaan Kotzé said several schools in Eden Park have been severely affected by the ongoing crisis, with some spending weeks without electricity.

According to Kotzé, Eden Park Primary School has been without electricity for a month and owes the CoE about R117 000.

He said Opelweg Primary School has already paid R432 000 to the municipality but still has an outstanding balance of approximately R228 000.

Kotzé added that Stoneridge Primary School owes roughly R170 000 and faces possible disconnection, while Eden Park Secondary School was without electricity for more than a month because it could not afford its electricity account.

“These schools are now forced to choose between paying electricity bills, buying textbooks, maintaining infrastructure, employing support staff and funding learner programmes. No school should face that choice. No child should sit in a classroom without lights,” said Kotzé.

The councillor said the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) was aware that municipal tariffs were increasing, but still expected schools to absorb costs they could not sustain.

“The DA repeatedly warned that cutting school funding while handing back municipal accounts would result in disconnections, mounting debt and a collapse in learning conditions,” he said.

The latest comments follow the City of Ekurhuleni’s confirmation of its intention to disconnect power to schools with outstanding municipal accounts as part of its credit control measures.

Schools across Alberton, Benoni, Boksburg, Brakpan, Edenvale, Germiston, Kempton Park, Nigel and Springs have been affected.

Parents and educators have previously told the Alberton Record that electricity outages have disrupted teaching, prevented schools from printing reports and affected the use of smartboards in classrooms.

Kotzé has called on the GDE to urgently intervene to prevent further disconnections, provide emergency financial assistance to affected schools, review municipal allocations provided to schools and disclose how many schools across Ekurhuleni remain at risk of losing electricity.

“Our children deserve classrooms with the lights on and a government that prioritises education over excuses,” he said.

The Gauteng Department of Education previously stated that schools received allocations in November 2025 specifically to settle municipal accounts, including electricity.

The department said School Governing Bodies are responsible for ensuring those funds are used for their intended purpose and expressed concern that some schools had failed to pay municipal accounts despite receiving allocations.

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