Parents stage protest outside Bovet Primary over overcrowding and infrastructure challenges
Community members led a protest at Bovet Primary School to voice their frustration over the school’s overcrowding and infrastructure challenges.
Parents of learners at Bovet Primary School staged a protest outside the school’s gates on Monday morning, citing overcrowding and poor infrastructure.
This comes amid growing concerns over shortages of chairs and desks at the school. The protest disrupted teaching as some parents gathered outside the premises, chanting and demanding better education for their children.
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Ward 76 councillor Zandile Mothupi expressed disappointment at the disruption. While acknowledging the validity of the concerns, she urged parents to raise issues through proper channels. “The matter is currently with the MEC, who has advised that if parents wish to strike, they should take their protest to his office.”
Mothupi cautioned that strikes at the school create an atmosphere of fear. She further stressed that overcrowding and infrastructure shortages affect many schools in Alexandra, not only Bovet.
The issues at Bovet have also caught the attention of Gauteng MEC for Education Lebogang Maile. During a press briefing on April 12, while outlining the state of the education system in Gauteng and the department’s 2025–2030 strategic plan, Maile acknowledged the challenges at Bovet Primary School. “There is a school in Alex, Bovet Primary School, that is overcrowded, and that school is the only one in the area that caters for Venda and Xitsonga learners. Something must be done.”
Also read: Protest on London Road
Maile revealed that many schools in the province are grappling with overcrowding and infrastructure challenges. “An estimated 723 schools show signs of overcrowding in some grades or across the whole school, with a documented shortage of about 5 554 classrooms, 3 166 in primary and 2 388 in secondary schools.”
He further explained that the 2026 school readiness audit identified furniture shortfalls linked to growth and damage, including 67 855 chairs and 25 990 double desks in primary schools, and 111 333 chairs and 98 115 single desks in secondary schools. “Procurement is currently underway, but funding remains insufficient to eliminate the backlog. Frequent replacement needs and delayed deliveries continue to worsen the situation.”
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